Mountain biodiversity
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.
FAO's Work in Sustainable Mountain Development and Watershed Management—A 2017 UpdatepublicationThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provides an update on its activities related to sustainable mountain development and watershed management in this 2017 platform statement published in Volume 37, Issue 2 (May 2017) of Mountain Research and Development. Download » |
Keeping an Eye on SDG 15publicationThis publication presents the three forest-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators for which the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the custodian agency, including SDG indicator 15.4.2, the Mountain Green Cover Index. It contains 3-4 pages for each indicator, covering the following: a) context of goal... Download » |
High-level mountain conference announcedpeak to peakIssue 105 – Month 6 – Year 2017 The June issue of Peak to Peak announces the high-level conference on mountains “Mountains under Pressure” that will be held on 11 December 2017 at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy. The newsletter continues with... Download » |
CinemAmbiente Environmental Film FestivaleventSince its inception in 1998, the “CinemAmbiente” Environmental Film Festival has presented some of the best in environmental films. The festival seeks to address the myriad issues related to the environment, including pollution, consumerism, food, waste production and management, genetically modified organisms (GMO), sustainable development and climate change, with a...
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Biodiversity Day in the Hindu Kush HimalayanewsThe United Nations proclaimed 22 May the International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. Each year, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) celebrates this important day with a number of activities. To mark IBD 2017, ICIMOD organized a knowledge forum...
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Mountains, one year after the Paris Agreementpeak to peakIssue 104 – Month 5 – Year 2017 The May issue of Peak to Peak reveals that 36 countries mentioned mountains in the first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) they submitted after signing and ratifying the Paris Agreement. The newsletter continues with stories about the Third World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)... Download » |
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