Biodiversity, Forests and Genetic Resources

Mountains are storehouses of global biodiversity. They support approximately one quarter of terrestrial biological diversity, while half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots are concentrated in mountain areas. Mountains are rich in endemic species and include some of the planet’s most spectacular and ecologically diverse landscapes. (Daniel Maselli, Eva Spehn & Christian Körner, Foreword, in Mountain Biodiversity and Global Change, 2010).

Their biodiversity is shaped by vertical environmental gradients, topographic diversity, slope exposure, isolation, microclimates and habitat fragmentation. Different climatic conditions that may stretch over thousands of kilometres in lowlands can be compressed into a single mountain slope, creating a remarkable variety of life zones, habitats and ecological niches.

Mountain forests protect soils, regulate water, store carbon, provide habitats, support livelihoods and contribute to climate resilience. In mountain territories, forest systems are often connected to agriculture, grazing, water management, local products, sacred places and community practices.

The UNESCO / WNMBR policy brief stresses that mountains are among the most biodiverse areas on Earth and among the most vulnerable. About 30 percent of Key Biodiversity Areas are located entirely or partially in mountain areas, while 88 percent of the Earth’s ecoregions include mountains. Yet many mountain areas of biodiversity significance remain insufficiently protected.

For MountMed, mountain biodiversity is part of the ecological memory and adaptive capacity of mountain territories. It is linked to soils, forests, water, local varieties, agro-pastoral systems, cultural landscapes and community knowledge.

Έπαινος / Pelophylax Βedriage
ΜΙΧΑΛΗΣ ΠΑΠΑΧΑΡΑΛΑΜΠΟΥΣ