Mountains loom large in some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. Their unique topography, compressed climatic zones and isolation have created the conditions for a wide spectrum of life forms.
Half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots are concentrated in mountains and mountains support approximately one-quarter of terrestrial biological diversity. Mountains are home to rare species of plants and animals. These include increasingly rare animals such as gorillas, mountain lions, and the majestic tahr or strikingly beautiful plants such as orchids and lobelias.
A large portion of the world's most precious gene pools (for agriculture and medicine) are preserved in mountains. Crops that are important for food security, such as maize, potatoes, barley, sorghum, tomatoes and apples, have been diversified in mountains and an array of domestic animals - sheep, goats, yaks, llamas and alpacas - have originated or been diversified in mountains. Other crops, such as wheat, rye, rice, oats and grapes, have found new homes in the mountains and evolved into many varieties. Coffee and tea, with their roots in Ethiopia and the Himalayan region, are mountain crops as well. Medicinal plants are one of the most valuable resources from high altitudes. This rich biodiversity holds cultural, ecological and economic value. In the Andes, for example, farmers know of as many as 200 different varieties of Indigenous Peoples' potatoes and, in Nepal, they farm approximately 2 000 varieties of rice.
Climate change, poverty, commercial mining, logging and poaching all exact a heavy toll on mountain biodiversity. The sustainable management of mountain biodiversity has increasingly been recognized as a global priority. The Convention on Biological Diversity adopted a Programme of Work on Mountain Biological Diversity in 2004, which includes a set of actions and targets addressing characteristics and problems that are specific to mountain ecosystems.
Mountain Gorillas at risks of extinction infected by human virusnewsA study recently published in the review “Emerging Infectious Diseases” has found that gorilla's living in the national parks in Africa are being infected by a RNA virus called human metapneumovirus (HMPV) that is common in humans. It provokes respiratory diseases and has proved to be fatal to some of... Read more » |
New book now released: “Framework for Valuing Ecosystem Services in the Himalayas”newsICIMOD has now released a new book, ‘Framework for Valuing Ecosystem Services in the Himalayas’ by Golam Rasul, Nakul Chettri and Eklabya Sharma. This paper outlines a general framework for economic valuation of ecosystem services focusing on mountain specific situations, which could be applied in the Hindu Kush- Himalayan region.... Read more » |
![]() Alpine Climate Change DayseventThe Italian Ministry for the Environment together with the Institute for Timber Plants and for the Environment (IPLA) and the Piedmont delegation of the National Union of Mountain Communities, Municipalities and Authorities (UNCEM Piemonte) organized the Conference “Alpine Climate Change Days” at the Regional Museum of Natural Science in Turin... Read more » |
International workshop on Indigenous Peoples, Marginalized Populations and Climate Change – Call for papers by 18 March 2011newsAn international workshop on Indigenous Peoples, Marginalized Populations and Climate Change: Vulnerability, Adaptation and Traditional Knowledgehas will be convened by United Nations University (UNU), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural... Read more » |
Reports by the Drylands Coordination Group (DCG) onlinenewsReports based on action research by the Drylands Coordination Group (DCG) are online for free download. DCG is a Norwegian NGO that supports and facilitates mutual exchange of practical experiences between African NGOs and research and policy-making institutions. The reports deal with a range of issues related to food security,... Read more » |
MRD’s Call for Papers on “Central Asian Mountain Societies in Transition” – abstracts by 31 March 2011newsThe Mountain Research and Development (MRD) Journal in collaboration with University of Central Asia’s Mountain Societies Research Centre has launched a call for papers regarding practices and systems relevant to the economic, political and environmental changes occurring in Central Asian mountain societies. The articles could cover topics such as sustainable... Read more » |
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