
The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) is a platform for international and cross-disciplinary collaboration on the assessment, conservation, and sustainable management of mountain biodiversity. JOIN THE NETWORK
The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) is a platform for international and cross-disciplinary collaboration on the assessment, conservation, and sustainable management of mountain biodiversity. JOIN THE NETWORK
Comparative phylogeography of Himalopsyche (Trichoptera, Rhyacophilidae) in the Tibeto-Himalayan Region: an assessment of the mountain-geobiodiversity hypothesis
Not every high-latitude or high-elevation forest edge is a treeline
Accelerating global mountain forest loss threatens biodiversity hotspots
Habitat protection and restoration: win–win opportunities for migratory birds in the Northern Andes
Identifying the environmental drivers of corridors and predicting connectivity between seasonal ranges in multiple populations of Alpine ibex ( Capra ibex ) as tools for conserving migration
Modeling global habitat suitability and environmental predictor of distribution of a Near Threatened avian scavenger at a high spatial resolution
Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal) - setting the scene for mountain biodiversity monitoring
Deep and frozen: high‐mountain lakes as sentinels of regional limnology and global environmental changes
The importance of species addition versus replacement varies over succession in plant communities after glacial retreat
A review of factors controlling Southern Hemisphere treelines and the implications of climate change on future treeline dynamics
Trophic flexibility and hydrology structure alpine stream food webs: Implications for a fading cryosphere
Pinus contorta alters microenvironmental conditions and reduces plant diversity in Patagonian ecosystems
International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development Policy Brief: "Sustainable soil management in
mountain regions"
Are the remnants of old-growth mountain forests always relevant to inspire close-to-nature forest management and efficient biodiversity conservation?
The spatial patterns of diversity and their relationships with environments in rhizosphere microorganisms and host plants differ along elevational gradients
Grazing intensity drives a trophic shift in the diet of common alpine birds
The importance of the Andes in the evolutionary radiation of Sigmodontinae (Rodentia, Cricetidae), the most diverse group of mammals in the Neotropics
Mountain soils and climate change: importance, threats and mitigation measures
Continuous forest at higher elevation plays a key role in maintaining bird and mammal diversity across an Andean coffee-growing landscape
Altitude as environmental filtering influencing phylogenetic diversity and species richness of plants in tropical mountains
Compensatory responses of vital rates attenuate impacts of competition on population growth and promote coexistence
Rapid upwards spread of non-native plants in mountains across continents
Alternative states in the structure of mountain forests across the Alps and the role of disturbance and recovery
Shifts in vegetation activity of terrestrial ecosystems attributable to climate trends
Effect of forest structure and management on the functional diversity and composition of understory plant communities
Scenarios of change in the realized climatic niche of mountain carnivores and ungulates
Review: mountain lakes as freshwater resources at risk from chemical pollution
Joint problem framing: a transdisciplinary methodology for a sustainable future in mountain areas
Landscape structure is a key driver of soil protist diversity in meadows in the Swiss Alps
Assessing the upper elevational limits of vegetation growth in global high-mountains
An integrative approach to evaluate ecosystem services of mountain lakes using multi-criteria decision analysis
Nature‑based solutions for climate change adaptation are not located where they are most needed across the Alps
Controlling factors of the spatial‐temporal fluctuations in evapotranspiration along an elevation gradient across humid montane ecosystems
VegAndes: the vegetation database for the Latin American highlands
A global framework of mountain ecology
The potential of ecoregional range maps for boosting taxonomic coverage in large-scale ecology and conservation
Climate change risk profile of the mountain region in Sri Lanka
Geographic and climatic constraints on bioregionalization of European ants
Phylogenetic endemism of the world’s seed plants
Mechanisms behind elevational plant species richness patterns revealed by a trait‐based approach
Resampling alpine herbarium records reveals changes in plant traits over space and time
The role of roads and trails for facilitating mountain plant invasions
Biogeochemical dynamics during snowmelt and in summer in the Alps
Modeling cultural keystone species for the conservation of biocultural diversity in the Afroalpine
Unraveling the differences in landcover patterns in high mountains and low mountain environments within the valdivian temperate rainforest biome in Chile
Pervasive hybridization during evolutionary radiation of Rhododendron subgenus Hymenanthes in mountains of southwest China
An improved Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach model for estimating ecological carbon sequestration in mountain vegetation
Assessing the protection of Key Biodiversity Areas in mountains at conservation-relevant scales
New progress in exploring the mechanisms underlying extraordinarily high biodiversity in global hotspots and their implications for conservation
No species loss, but pronounced species turnover in grasslands in the Northern Alps over 25 years
Evidence for divergence in phenology over morphology in response to limiting similarity in montane communities of Rhododendron
Preferential substrate use decreases priming effects in contrasting treeline soils
Plant community assembly is jointly shaped by environmental and dispersal filtering along elevation gradients in a semiarid area, China
Biodiversity mediates relationships between anthropogenic drivers and ecosystem services across global mountain, island and delta systems
Local environmental context drives heterogeneity of early succession dynamics in alpine glacier forefields
Extensive range contraction predicted under climate warming for two endangered mountaintop frogs from the rainforests of subtropical Australia
The fate of endemic species specialized in island habitat under climate change in a Mediterranean high mountain
Out of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: genomic biogeography of the alpine monospecific genus Megadenia (Biscutelleae, Brassicaceae)
Elevational changes in insect herbivory on woody plants in six mountain ranges of temperate Eurasia: Sources of variation
Mountain resilience: a systematic literature review and paths to the future
Social innovations can help revive mountain economies, including through alternative economic pathways. The panelists will share and discuss findings on a regional initiative in the Swiss Alps and experiences from civil society initiatives in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, Georgia, and Ecuador. The event is an opportunity to jointly reflect on how social innovations can be fostered for the benefit of mountain economies. 25 April 2023, 15:00 CEST/UTC+2, on Zoom. Read more and register...
Save the date for the 16th International Conference on Ecology and Management of Alien Plant Invasions, that will take place in Pucón (Chile), 23-25 October 2023, with a focus on promoting diversity in the science and management of biological invasions. Read more...
Born from a fruitful partnership with the Canadian Mountain Network, this issue showcases knowledge collaborations between mountain researchers and Indigenous Peoples from across the globe. Topics include Aymara soil knowledge in Bolivia, community-based tourism in Italy, rangeland management modeling in Bhutan, archeological research in Canada, the role of indigenous knowledge in protected area management in Canada and New Zealand/Aotearoa, and more. Read more...
This graduate course is offered at the Alpfor Alpine Research and Education Station Furka Pass by the University of Basel and the Zürich-Basel Plant Science Center (PSC). It is designed for advanced biology students with basic plant science training. The course covers microclimatology, ecophysiology, biodiversity, reproductive biology, soil science, vegetation and ecosystem ecology. The course will include lectures, field excursions and project work. Participation is limited to 24 students.
The Conference will take place in Kunming, China, April 16-18, 2023. The theme of this year’s conference is “Mountain Communities in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”. The conference will bring together leading researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from around the world to discuss the most pressing issues facing mountain regions today. Read more...
Mountain Research and Development is looking for papers that systematically assess restoration experiences, including enabling and hindering factors for greater resilience of mountain ecosystems and people. Empirical research and meta-analyses of degradation and restoration processes and their links to resilience are also welcome, as are review-based agendas for research, policies, or interventions. Papers are due by 30 March 2023. Read more...
This International Plant Functional Traits Course offers hands-on training in different applications of plant functional traits ecology within a real-life field research project setting. Students plan a trait-based research project and field campaign; collect and document plant functional trait data in the field; and explore these data using trait-based approaches within climate change research and ecosystem ecology. This course will provide students with essential background knowledge and the practical field, lab, and computational skills needed for conducting their own research within trait-based ecology. Read more and sign up by 28th February...
For a special issue on mountains and island biogeography, the Journal of Systematics and Evolution welcomes submissions in all aspects related to the biogeography, evolution, and conservation of mountain and island systems. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): (1) pylogenomics and phylogenetics of large or complex groups occurring in mountains and/or islands; (2) Newly explored biogeographic and evolutionary aspects of major clades and mountain/island biomes. Manuscript submission deadline: 30 June 2023. Read more...
In this International Conference, the efforts will be on bringing together the distinguished groups of researchers who have been working on various aspects of mountain biodiversity across disciplinary and geographical boundaries. The conference will focus on the presentations on biodiversity (animals, plants, microbes) with particular reference to their cope up mechanisms in low temperature environment of mountain ecosystems in general and Himalaya and Antarctica in particular.
The International LTER Network (ILTER) provides small research grants for compact projects, for instance as seed grants for larger undertakings, or for supporting thesis or post-doctoral work by young scientists. The deadline for applications is February 01, 2023. Read more and apply...
Working with Indigenous and local knowledge holders is crucial to conserving mountain landscapes. It provides much-needed systemic approaches, and it is fundamental to creating just conservation initiatives. In this MRD Talk, researchers, Indigenous representatives, practitioners, and the audience discussed promising new practices as well as challenges. Access the recording of the event and a summary of key insights online...
Four studies from Italy, France, and Cyprus examine how production of Mediterranean mountain food specialties—cheese, beef, and wine—can support sustainable development in the producing regions. Insights for better visitor management in protected areas are offered in an article from Nepal, using geolocated social media images, and in one from the French Alps, based on an analysis of visitors’ attitudes. A study from South Africa’s Drakensberg Mountains analyzes urbanization and land cover change. Read more...
Healthy social–ecological systems in mountains are essential for reducing disaster risk and achieving sustainable development globally. This focus issue illuminates the complex interconnections between hazards, vulnerabilities, disaster risk management, and resulting impacts in mountains. Based on insights from the Himalayas, the Andes, Iceland, Japan, and Saint Vincent, its articles chart ways of reducing disaster risk and fostering partnerships among stakeholders. Read more...
On September 16th the Alpine and Carpathian Conventions and the Mountain Partnership are co-organizing an event to contribute in implementing the UN resolution on International Mountain Year, raising awareness of the importance of the protection of mountain ecosystem, with a focus on mountain biodiversity and climate change issues, providing an overview of the main achievements of the past years at global and regional level, and discussing the main challenges and the way forward. Interested in joining? Registration is open until 13 September. Click to register...
The 2022 Workshop on Earth Observation for Ecosystem Accounting (28.11-01.12.2022, online) will bring together experts in EO and in Ecosystem Accounting to discuss the key challenges to be addressed to use EO in compiling national ecosystem accounts to support national policies. The Workshop will introduce the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting framework , present on-going efforts to harness the potential of EO in ecosystem accounting, showcase practical examples of EO applications for Ecosystem Accounting, and review the main challenges for an effective use of EO in compiling national ecosystem accounts. The workshop will address the use of EO for ecosystem accounts in all realms. Abstract deadline: 12th September 2022. Read more and register...
Participants at the World Biodiversity Forum 2022 in Davos have adopted the final conference resolution by acclamation. Amongst a number of other recommendations towards the safeguard of biodiversity worldwide, this resolution recognizes the importance of mountain biodiversity and its conservation. Read more...
The Grassroots Institute is co-organizing the hyrbid Summer Field School on Mountain Ecosystems & Resource Management at Igman Mountain in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 10-19 September 2023. This international training programme examines mountain ecosystems in the contexts of sustainable development and natural resource management. The course aims to equip researchers, students, practitioners and young teachers with the necessary approaches, knowledge and skills to meet the challenges of sustainable mountain development globally. The programme is conducted in partnership with various academic and practice-oriented organizations from around the world. Click here for information on how to become an institutional partner.
Mountain Research and Development is looking for papers that systematically assess restoration experiences, including enabling and hindering factors for greater resilience of mountain ecosystems and people. Empirical research and meta-analyses of degradation and restoration processes and their links to resilience are also welcome, as are review-based agendas for research, policies, or interventions. Papers are due by 1 November 2022. Read more...
Articles in this issue examine the workings of the “smart village” concept in the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland; the role of local food products in fostering mountain tourism in the Italian Alps; the benefits of wild plants’ ecosystem services for local livelihoods in the Polish Pieniny Mountains; rural residents’ sense of place in an ecological restoration area in Guizhou, China; and outcomes of the International Mountain Conference 2019 in Innsbruck. Read more...
The new GMBA inventory of the world’s mountains for global comparative mountain science is now released and available for unrestricted download and use. This new release introduces a hierarchical classification of the >8600 inventoried mountain ranges of the world, which allows for the partitioning of mountain systems into smaller ranges and subranges and enables spatially explicit and comparative mountain research across scales. The clearly defined, globally consistent and hierarchical nature of this new inventory offers a standardized resource for referencing and addressing mountains across science, policy, communication, and education. Read more...
Mountain Research and Development is looking for papers that systematically assess experiences of how digitalization supports transformative change in mountains. Analyses of how digitalization changes mountain societies, affects spatial and socioeconomic interrelations, or helps address gaps in knowledge about mountain societies and environments are also welcome, as are reviews of existing knowledge, practices, or policies related to digitalization. Full papers are due by 1 July 2022
Registration for the World Biodiversity Forum is now open! Special rates apply for graduate (PhD) students as well as participants from low and lower middle income countries. Early bird discounts until 31 January 2022. Read more...
Two articles in this open issue focus on ski resorts in the USA: one presents a voluntary environmental program for large resorts, the other analyzes climate change impacts and adaptation action. A global review of literature on adaptation action in mountains calls for closing the adaptation gap. Further articles focus on irrigation systems in the Upper Indus Basin; environmental attitudes of ultramarathoners in Iceland; and the shear strength of purple topsoil under different land uses in China. Read more...
Mountain Research and Development invites contributions for a focus issue on knowledge collaborations between academic and local knowledge holders. Papers should explore how mountain researchers and Indigenous Peoples or other holders of place-based knowledge can collaborate to guide knowledge creation and application. Contributions by scientists and Indigenous or other local knowledge holders are equally welcome. Notices of intent are due by 10 December 2021, full papers by 15 February 2022.
A case study from China shows how bird photography tourism benefitted both biodiversity and livelihoods. Research from the Indian Himalaya examines links between urbanization, hazards, and vulnerability. A global analysis offers insights into challenges for sustainable governance of mountains, and a study on Canada’s mountain systems provides a nationally coherent basis for research and policy. Finally, another global assessment proposes ways of developing a network of mountain observatories. Read more...
In this open issue, two articles focus on the Indian Himalayas, assessing the risk of glacial lake outbursts and investigating risk knowledge among urban development actors. Another article describes indigenous-driven sustainability initiatives in the Ecuadorian Andes, and one examines how a wetland park in China affects waterbird diversity. A review article analyzes academic literature on climate change adaptation in European mountain systems. Read more...
June 2021, USGS releases the second version of the Global Mountain Explorer (GME) developed in partnership with GMBA, the Center for Development and Environment, the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), and ESRI. This tool was developed to provide a detailed view of the world's mountains according to the three most commonly used definitions of mountains. Important: in this new version, two of the three original layers have been replaced following the discovery that data handling in preparing the first version increased their global coverage of mountains considerably. More information is available in the release note online. Access the GME....
Articles in this focus issue of Mountain Research and Development present examples and insights into education for sustainable mountain development around the world. Covering a wide range of formal and informal education at all levels, including practical training and lifelong learning opportunities, they provide a basis for future research, policy, and action. The issue was guest-edited by Jörg Balsiger and Martin Price. Read more...
Today, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), GRID-Arendal (GRIDA), Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA), and the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) released a key policy input highlighting the indicators considered the most effective important for safeguarding mountain biodiversity and ecosystem integrity. The document provides also rationale for adoption of such indicators at multiple levels and suggests additional indicators for further considerations. Read more...
Articles in this open issue focus on the preservation of open spaces in the European Alps; knowledge and valuation of aquatic mountain ecosystems in the Pyrenees; links between elevation and child growth in Nepal; a traditional irrigation system in India; the anti-mini-hydro movement in Italy; glacial lakes and outburst floods in Kyrgyzstan; impacts of climate change on alpine vegetation in China; and solid waste management in and around Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal. Read more...
Fresh out of the press: the third edition of Christian Körner's seminal book "Alpine Plant Life - Functional Plant Ecology of High Mountain Ecosystems"! This 500 page volume has been largely rewritten and greatly expanded since the last version that appeared in 2003. This is a must read for students and professionals alike, freely accessible via University Springer links. Read more...
UNEP in collaboration with GMBA, the Mountain Research Initiative, and GRID-Arendal produced an information panel on the important role mountains play in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The panel highlights the unique biodiversity that mountain regions are hosting, sheds light on threats to mountain biodiversity, and presents policy recommendations suggesting how to address the protection of mountain biodiversity in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The panel is part of a larger physical exhibition about the protection of endangered mountain species and increasing the resilience of wildlife and local communities towards climatic changes (Vanishing Treasures Programme). Check out the panel...
Two new issues of MRD are complete. Vol 40, No 2, guest-edited by GMBA, focuses on the role of mountain biodiversity for sustainable development. Papers from various world regions offer further evidence of mountain species’ importance for human livelihoods and wellbeing, and call for effective conservation and management approaches. Vol 40, No 1 also contains several biodiversity-related articles; further studies address tourism development in the South Caucasus and other topics
Remote sensing can invaluably contribute to the investigation of invasion processes by providing wide spatiotemporal data on both alien species occurrence and proxies of invasion drivers. This Special Issue, jointly organized between “Remote Sensing” and “Earth” journals, aims at gathering contributions focused on the use of remote sensing for tracking invasion dynamics in areas undergoing rapid environmental changes. Read more...
The new factsheet "Achieving the SDGs with Biodiversity" by the Swiss Biodiversity Forum (SCNAT) and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Switzerland) shows the contribution biodiversity for each SDG. The authors, including GMBA, conclude, among other things, that biodiversity should be mainstreamed into all policy areas.
The objective of the Compendium of EO contributions to the SDG Targets and Indicators was to conduct an in-depth review of the relevance of satellite observations to the SDG Targets and Indicators, and more specifically to analyse how these observations can be embedded in the computational methods of the SDG indicators and be fitted into national statistical systems for monitoring progress on SDGs. It illustrates how satellite observations can directly or indirectly support SDG indicators, and how countries can set and plan their SDG targets using EO-based support tools.
The aim of this Research Topic is to bring together the current ecological and evolutionary research on biological diversity in African mountains across different taxa of plants and animals, biotope types, and geographical locations. A particular focus is placed on the role of environmental gradients in ecological differentiation of individuals and communities, the origination of species and shaping their geographical distributions. Further, research on inter-specific interactions, the importance of ecological adaptations, and the significance of evolutionary history for current patterns of biodiversity is encouraged. Abstract submission deadline is 26 February 2021. Read more...
For International Mountain Day we have published all the "Tales of Mountain Biodiversity" we collected together with the Mountain Partnership. Many thanks to everybody for your contributions!
This short editorial sets the stage for an ongoing Focus Issue on Mountain Biodiversity and Sustainable Development in Mountain Research and Development. Read more...
In this commentary, we first illustrate the importance and challenges of safeguarding healthy mountain ecosystems. We then outline how integrated strategies that enable transformative changes across socio-economic sectors and segments of society can place well-conserved mountain biodiversity at the core of a just, equitable, and sustainable world. Read more...
In this paper we applied the IPBES conceptual framework to assess and compare the contents of 631 abstracts on the interactions among biodiversity, ecosystem services, human wellbeing, and drivers of change and formulate a set of research recommendations. Read more...
In preparation of International Mountain Day we have collaborated with the Mountain Partnership to develop an infographic on why mountain biodiversity matters. This is for unrestricted use and we encourage you to disseminate it widely. Access and download...
Culture is fundamentally relevant for sustainable development. This focus issue shows how mountain communities draw on their cultural heritage and integrate new knowledge to shape their own innovative and locally-based development pathways. It also explores ways of integrating culture into development practice and policy. Studies focus on mountain communities in Chile, Italy, Russia, Ecuador, Georgia, Nepal, and China.
After ten years of work, the results of the second European Breeding Bird Atlas are compiled in a book with the most up-to-date source of information on distribution, abundance and change of bird populations in Europe. With around 120,000 fieldworkers contributing data this project is among the biggest citizen science projects on biodiversity ever. A total of 556 species are treated with a full species account including (abundance, distribution, change) maps, text and an illustration. Pre-publication discount available until 30 Novembre. Read more and order...
Guest editors C. Hobohm and N. Barker invite contributions for a special issue in Diversity on global patterns of endemic and threatened species in relation to environment and habitat. This Special Issue will focus on analyses of selected endemics or globally threatened species in relation to biogeography, landscape ecology, and genetics/taxonomy. The purpose is to generate scientific information on selected taxa as a fundament for political decisions related to ecosystems or special regions. Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2021. Read more...
With a series of short films, called "Mountains – a fragile source of life" GMBA network member Dirk Schmeller explains different aspects of mountains and why they are important for the human society. Check out the first episode "Research to protect our future"...
Endemism in island-like systems – Are true islands and sky islands alike? To answer this question, Suzette Flantua and co-authors reviewed the theoretical concept of isolation and asked themselves what it means to be isolated and what relevance it has for species in mountains and islands. Their conclusions are published today in Global Ecology and Biogeography. Read more...
Guest editors Carina Hoorn, Luis Palazzesi, and Daniele Silvestro are inviting papers that focus on the relationships among mountain building, sedimentary processes, and biotic evolution in South America at different stages of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Read more...
Guest editors Ieva Misiune, Daniel Depellegrin, and Lukas Egarter Vigl are inviting contributions for a Springer Nature book on Exploring the Multiple Values of Nature - Connecting Ecosystems and People across Landscapes. In a section on mountain systems they are looking for contributions that analyze and promote mountains as integrated systems and deal with the unique challenges of these landscapes to increase their resilience and sustainability. Read more...
We all appreciate the fundamental importance of our mountains' biological richness. But what is the functional significance of this diversity? Why does this diversity really matter? These questions have been standing at the cradle of GMBA for the last 20 years and are rightfully asked by politicians, stakeholders, and the broader public alike. Today we invite you to join our new effort to compile examples that help answer them. Read more and contribute...
Papers explore ways of supporting girls’ education in rural Nepal; forest fires on the slopes of Mount Kenya; how commercial medicinal plant collection improves high-altitude livelihoods and how forest use practices impact landscape hydrology, both in Nepal; and how snow affects landslide vegetation patterns in Japan. Two more propose a multiscale transdisciplinary framework for advancing sustainability in mountain agriculture and a strategy for integrated biodiversity monitoring in high mountain ecosystems.
Wildflowers of Mount Everest is the first-ever wildflower identification app for Nepal. The richly illustrated app includes 557 species of wildflowers, shrubs, and trees and is meant for anybody who wants to identify or learn about plants in the Mount Everest region. Read more...
Mountains host a spectacular diversity of species. Yet current species distribution is only a snapshot in time that bears the memory of past geomorphological and climatic changes. Understanding past changes is key to interpret current patterns and inform mountain biodiversity conservation and management in the future. Read more about it in a short GMBA co-authored contribution in the latest issue of the PAGES magazine. Read more...
Due to the current situation, the XVIII International Colloquium on Soil Zoology (ICSZ) and the XV International Colloquium on Apterygota (ICA) hosted by Eurac Research in Bolzano has been postponed to March/April 2021! Read more and stay tuned...
Today, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), GRID-Arendal (GRIDA), Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA), Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), Mountain Partnership, Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention, Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, Government of Austria, Government of Hungary, and Government of Poland are convening country delegates attending the Second meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in Rome to an informal mountain gathering. This gathering will serve as the occasion to launch the second version of the Policy Brief "Elevating Mountains in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework 2.0" co-developed by UNEP, GRIDA, GMBA, and MRI. Read more...
GMBA working group on species distribution models & remote sensing publishes in Remote Sensing of Environment on Monitoring biodiversity in the Anthropocene using remote sensing in species distribution models. The paper first surveys the literature on remote sensing data products available to ecological modelers interested in improving predictions of species range dynamics under global change. Focus is on key biophysical processes underlying the distribution of species in the Anthropocene including climate variability, changes in land cover, and disturbances. The paper then discusses potential synergies between the ecological modeling and remote sensing communities. Specific attention is given to how synergies could lead to new opportunities to report on progress towards global agendas - such as the Agenda 2030 or the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and help guide conservation and management strategies. Get free access to the paper for another until early March...
Papers focus on scenario planning in Iceland; risk awareness in Austria; alpine pasture assessment in France; the role of different knowledge sources in adaptation in Venezuela and Colombia, Ecuador, and the Indian Himalaya; local adaptations to water scarcity in the Hindu Kush–Himalaya; declining glacier water in the Mongolian Altai; national glacier monitoring worldwide; and adaptation initiatives in African mountains. Read more...
UNFCCC’s Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa officially receives “10 New Insights in Climate Science” as it is launched at COP25, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain. These Insights are a collaborative product of Future Earth and the Earth League. Insight 3 "Climate change leaves no mountain summit behind" is co-authored by GMBA and MRI. Read more...
On October 31, 2019, 20 scientists and individual actors in charge of formulating and implementing environmental policies for Swiss mountains got together at the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating research and long-term monitoring data into public policies for environmental management in Swiss mountains. Read more...
On October 02-04, 2019, 22 experts from science and policy got together in the botanical garden of Champex-Lac (Switzerland) to discuss the contribution of Long-Term Social Ecological Research (LTSER) in mountains to global agendas and conventions. The objective of the workshop was to deliver a synthetic overview of how mountain LTSER currently support global policy agendas and UN conventions and how their contribution could be improved and strengthened in the future. Read more...
Altenbergrain 21
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