What is Mountain Biodiversity?

Many mountain ecosystems are host to higher species richness and levels of endemism than adjacent lowlands. Mountains at lower altitudes can support exceptional biodiversity, due to compression of a wide range of ecosystems into a relatively short distance. Mountains also often provide islands of suitable habitat, isolated from unfavourable surrounding lowlands. Endemism levels are often high, particularly on mountains at medium elevations in the tropics and warmer temperate zones. For some taxa, mountains have acted as refuges from environmental change or competing species, and they often represent sites of in situ speciation. Mountain species with narrow habitat tolerance, particularly higher elevation forms and those with low dispersal capacity, are at high risk from the environmental effects of climate change. Slope dynamics and livestock grazing are significant drivers of diversity in many alpine regions. Flower-rich alpine meadows are an important cultural heritage that is increasingly threatened as traditional grazing practices decline.

Why is it Important?

Mountain environments cover some 27% of the world’s land surface, and directly support the 22% of the world’s people who live within mountain regions. Lowland people also depend on mountain environments for a wide range of goods and services, including water, energy, timber, biodiversity maintenance, and opportunities for recreation and spiritual renewal. Mountains provide for the freshwater needs of more than half of humanity, and are, in effect, the water towers of the world. The world’s mountains encompass some of the most spectacular landscapes, a great diversity of species and habitat types, and distinctive human communities. Mountains occur on all continents, in all latitude zones, and within all the world’s principal biome types – from hyper-arid hot desert and tropical forest to arid polar icecaps – and support a wide variety of ecosystems. Mountain ecosystems are important for biological diversity, particularly in the tropics and warmer temperate latitudes. Isolated mountain blocks are often rich in endemic species. As noted in the report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations when he proclaimed 2002 as the “International Year of Mountains," mountains harbour a significant portion of distinct ethnic groups, varied remnants of cultural traditions, environmental knowledge and habitat adaptations. They host some of the world’s most complex agro-cultural gene pools and traditional management practices. Mountain biodiversity plays a key role in the support of global environmental, economic, social and cultural sectors through connections to; invasive species, air pollution, climate change, mining, hydropower, tourism, forests, agriculture. Therefore the challenge is to sustainably manage mountain regions to avoid degradation and avoid subsequent increases in poverty and hunger.

 

What's the Problem?

Mountain biodiversity faces a number of serious and growing challenges. Habitat degradation caused by unsustainable clearing of land results in erosion of fertile soil and increases the threat of avalanches, landslides and flooding. With this change in habitat, rare species of plants and animals can face extinction. This environmental degradation often means increasing poverty and hunger for mountain people, already amongst the world’s poorest and hungriest. As resources become scarce, conflicts over their use can arise. Many men, women and families have no choice but to migrate to lowland cities. Mountain communities disintegrate and entire cultures and languages disappear. There are many challenges to overcome in order to successfully and sustainably use mountain biodiversity. The growing demand for water, the consequences of global climate change, the growth in tourism, and the pressures of industry and agriculture in a world of increased globalization are just some of these challenges. Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 on Sustainable Mountain Development recognized that mountain ecosystems are rapidly changing and that the proper management of mountain resources and socio-economic development of the people affected deserved immediate action. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2002 as the International Year of Mountains with the main objective to increase awareness of the importance of sustainable mountain development. The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development included in its Plan of Implementation considerations for the sustainable development of mountain regions (paragraph 40). The UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre and UNEP’s Mountain Programme, in collaboration with a number of organizations, compiled the Mountain Watch report, which provides a systematic assessment of mountain ecosystems, using a geographic information system (GIS) based analysis of global data. According to this report important pressures that mountain ecosystems face include: seismic hazards; fire; climate change; land cover change and agricultural conversion; infrastructure development; and armed conflict. These pressures degrade mountain environments and affect the provision of ecosystem services and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them. In all mountain regions, natural risks are high and the effects of poor land use practices are particularly severe. As ecosystems representing the complex and integrated ecology of our planet, mountain environments are essential to the survival of the global biosphere.

 

Background

Mountains are specifically mentioned in paragraph 7 of Article 20 of the Convention text, which states that, with regard to funding and transfer of technology, developed country Parties shall take into “consideration the special situation of developing countries, including those that are most environmentally vulnerable, such as those with arid and semi-arid zones, coastal and mountainous areas." However, due to the significance of mountain ecosystems for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use and because mountains include other ecosystem types such as forests and inland waters, mountain biodiversity is cross-cutting in nature and all the other articles of the Convention and many decisions apply to mountain biological diversity. At its fourth meeting, in 1998, the Conference of Parties selected mountain biodiversity as one of three themes for in-depth consideration at its seventh meeting. The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) at its eighth meeting considered mountain biological diversity and adopted the structure, elements and goals of the proposed programme of work on mountain biological diversity. An Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Mountain Biological Diversity further developed actions under relevant programme elements and goals of the proposed work programme for consideration of the ninth meeting of SBSTTA, which adopted recommendation IX/12 for consideration of the Conference of Parties. At its seventh meeting, the Conference of the Parties adopted the programme of work on mountain biological diversity (decision VII/27). Pursuant to paragraph 4 of Article 23 and in accordance with the multi-year programme of work, the Conference of the Parties shall keep under review the implementation of the provisions of Convention as they apply to mountain biodiversity and undertake additional activities that may be required.