The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) is a platform for international and cross-disciplinary collaboration on the assessment, conservation, and sustainable use of mountain biodiversity. JOIN THE NETWORK
Maintaining biodiversity promotes the multifunctionality of social-ecological systems: holistic modelling of a mountain system
Mountain biodiversity and ecosystem functions: interplay between geology and contemporary environments
Examining social equity in community-based conservation programs: A case study of controlled hunting programs in Bale Mountains, Ethiopia
Global assessment of mountain ecosystem services using earth observation data
Consistent population declines but idiosyncratic range shifts in Alpine orchids under global change
Festuca drakensbergensis (Poaceae): A common new species in the F. caprina complex from the Drakensberg Mountain Centre of Floristic Endemism, southern Africa, with key and notes on taxa in the complex including the overlooked F. exaristata
Grassland biomass balance in the European Alps: current and future ecosystem service perspectives
Evaluating ecosystem service trade-offs along a land-use intensification gradient in central Veracruz, Mexico
The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in nonnative plant invasion along mountain roads
Integrating ecosystem services within spatial biodiversity conservation prioritization in the Alps
Predicting impacts of climate variability on Banj oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus) forests: understanding future implications for Central Himalayas
Influence of climate, soil, and land cover on plant species distribution in the European Alps
Greater topoclimatic control of above‐ versus belowground communities
Shifting aspect or elevation? The climate change response of ectotherms in a complex mountain topography
Treeline ecotones shape the distribution of avian species richness and functional diversity in south temperate mountains
A 3000-year record of vegetation changes and fire at a high-elevation wetland on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Warming of alpine tundra enhances belowground production and shifts community towards resource acquisition traits
An uphill battle? The elevational distribution of alien plant species along rivers and roads in the Austrian Alps
The invasive grass genus Nassella in South Africa: A synthesis
A quantitative assessment of rockfall influence on forest structure in the Swiss Alps
Belowground impacts of Alpine woody encroachment are determined by plant traits, local climate and soil conditions
Rapid climate change results in long-lasting spatial homogenization of phylogenetic diversity
Climate controls plant life‐form patterns on a high‐elevation oceanic island
Generic boundaries in subtribe Saussureinae (Compositae: Cardueae): Insights from Hyb‐Seq data
Phylotranscriptomics reveals extensive gene duplication in the subtribe Gentianinae (Gentianaceae)
Land surface phenology and greenness in Alpine grasslands driven by seasonal snow and meteorological factors
Long-term altitudinal change in bird richness in a Mediterranean mountain range: habitat shifts explain the trends
Benefits of conservation-driven mowing for the EU policy species Gladiolus palustris Gaudin in mountain fen meadows: a case-study in the European Alps
A century of high elevation ecosystem change in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
The importance of habitat diversity and plant species richness for hazel grouse occurrence in the mixed mountain forests of the Western Carpathians
Response of multiple mountain ecosystem services on environmental gradients: How to respond, and where should be priority conservation?
Climatic changes and the fate of mountain herbivores
Evolution of traditional agroforestry landscapes and development of invasive species: lessons from the Pyrenees (France)
Automatic classification of fine-scale mountain vegetation based on mountain altitudinal belt
Competition and demography rather than dispersal limitation slow down upward shifts of trees’ upper elevation limits in the Alps
Mosses modify effects of warmer and wetter conditions on tree seedlings at the alpine treeline
Glacier shrinkage and slope processes create habitat at high elevation and microrefugia across treeline for alpine plants during warm stages
Herpetofauna diversity in the middle of the Southern Carpathians: data from a recent survey (2016–2018) in Cozia National Park (Romania)
Vegetation overview of meadows and pastures of north-west Šar-Planina Mountain (Serbia)
Interventions have limited effects on the population dynamics of Ips typographus and its natural enemies in the Western Carpathians (Central Europe)
Biogeography of intraspecific trait variability in matgrass (Nardus stricta): high phenotypic variation at the local scale exceeds large scale variability patterns
Contrasting patterns and drivers of soil bacterial and fungal diversity across a mountain gradient
Distribution patterns and drivers of artificial soil bacterial community on cut-slopes in alpine mountain area of southwest China
Climate, soil resources and microbial activity shape the distributions of mountain plants based on their functional traits
A multi-method approach for the integrative assessment of soil functions: application on a coastal mountainous site of the Philippines
Succession from meadow to mature forest: Impacts on soil biological, chemical and physical properties—Evidence from the Pieniny Mountains, Poland
Climatic dynamics and topography control genetic variation in Atlantic Forest montane birds
Habitat availability disproportionally amplifies climate change risks for lowland compared to alpine species
Arthropod biodiversity patterns point to the Mesovoid Shallow Substratum (MSS) as a climate refugium
Dieback and expansions: species-specific responses during 20 years of amplified warming in the high Alps
Biodiversity conservation in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalayan mountain region of northern Pakistan: Overview of big mammal protection
Ancient orogenic and monsoon-driven assembly of the world’s richest temperate alpine flora
“Into and Out of” the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau and the Himalayas: Centers of origin and diversification across five clades of Eurasian montane and alpine passerine birds
Discovery of the world’s highest-dwelling mammal
Alpine vegetation in the context of climate change: A global review of past research and future directions
Plant diversity and composition changes along an altitudinal gradient in the Isolated Volcano Sumaco in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Functional diversity changes after selective thinning in a tropical mountain forest in Southern Ecuador
Seasonal shifts of biodiversity patterns and species’ elevation ranges of butterflies and moths along a complete rainforest elevational gradient on Mount Cameroon
Tree diversity patterns, above-ground biomass and carbon assessment along elevational gradient in a tropical forest of the Cameroon volcanic line
Species richness and beta diversity patterns of multiple taxa along an elevational gradient in pastured grasslands in the European Alps
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...
Halle University in Germany is launching a new international master's program - Biodiversity Sciences, which aims to scientifically convey how the state and changes of biodiversity can be quantified across space and time, what evolutionary and ecological processes underlie them and what consequences arise from biodiversity changes for humans. Deadline for international applications is April 30, 2021. Read more...
The ARU is inviting applications from suitable candidates for a three-year POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP (2021–2023) that will drive the ARU contribution to the EU Horizon 2020 BiodivERsA Project: Mechanisms underlying the success and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of range-expanding species under climate change. This will include leading and managing a remote, high-elevation experiment site on the summit of the Maloti-Drakensberg; widespread interaction with local managers and policy-makers on mountainous range-expanding species (native and non-native); and leading/participating in associated workshops and events. Read more...
Georg Niedrist at the University of Innsbruck is recruiting a PhD student to work on periphyton composition and production in a project on fatty acids in alpine stream food webs. Three year position starting this May. 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 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) has opened a new call for working groups. Pre-proposals are due before 16 March 2021. Read more...
The three year position is within the European Biodiversa - project ASICS (ASsessing and mitigating the effects of climate change and biological Invasions on the spatial redistribution of biodiversity in Cold environmentS), which aims to combine expertise and existing data from cold environments (sub-Antarctic islands, Arctic, Antarctic and alpine
regions) to better understand the combined effects of climate changes and biological invasions on the future of biodiversity in these environments.
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 Afromontane Research Unit based at the QwaQwa Campus of the University of the Free State (South Africa), will be hosting the Southern African Mountain Conference from 14 to 17 March 2022. Read more and stay tuned...
The French Presidency of the Alpine Convention and the European Strategy for the Alpine Region are inviting to the Mountain Biodiversity Day. The one-day event offers a platform for discussions between experts and representatives from mountain regions all over the world, working in the field of biodiversity, with a strong focus on mountains. The main goal is to share experiences, identify shared challenges and showcase best-practice examples and solutions from various regional perspectives.
The Grenoble Alpine Ecology Lab team is recruiting a postdoc for a 30 months position on a new French-Austrian project which will investigate how qualitative changes in plant traits in shrub encroached alpine communities impact water and nutrient cycling and their responses to drought and shorter snow seasons. Deadline for applications: 8 January 2021 on https://bit.ly/3mDU7qH. Read more...
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...
The RangeX consortium is recruiting one doctoral and four postdoctoral candidates to join the team from April 2021. Interested candidates may apply for multiple positions but must do so via the submission systems of the relevant institutions. The submission deadlines for each position differ slightly, with the earliest being 4th January 2021. Read more...
The ARU is inviting applications from suitable candidates for a three-year post-doctoral fellowship (2021–2023) that will drive the ARU contribution to the RangeX project. Deadline for application is 30 January 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.
SRI2021 will be a hybrid event, with a diverse and innovative online program alongside onsite participation in Brisbane, Australia. SRI2021 will take place June 12-15, 2021 with activities, networking, training and more both prior and following the event. Early bird registration is now open and the call for session proposals will remain open until December 15. Read more...
The Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research at the University of Vienna
(http://www.botanik.univie.ac.at/botanik/index.php) is offering two PhD positions within the framework of an EU-funded research project (ERC-AdG MICROCLIM). Read more and apply...
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...
Mountain Research and Development invites transdisciplinary and multidisciplinary papers that address transformations affecting pastoralists and rangelands in mountains and high-elevation landscapes, their interactions with other systems, and the answers local communities, policymakers, and scientists can provide. Contributions can be empirical or conceptual, case studies or syntheses. Full papers are due by 15 February 2021. Read more...
Do you live or work in mountains and work on regional or sustainable development? Colleagues at the University of Bern invite you to participate in an online survey about sustainable development in mountain regions. The survey applies the Q methodology to collect stakeholder perspectives on which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be prioritized to successfully implement the full SDG agenda in mountains and investigates the role of protected and conserved areas for sustainable development. Take the survey...
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...
Are you willing to team up for Climate Action in the Alps? Do you want to contribute to the climate-neutral and climate-resilient Alps vision? Join the Matchmaking Workshop of the Alpine Climate Board to take further steps towards the implementation of the Alpine Climate Target System 2050. Representatives of all sectors of activity in the Alps and from local to cross-border level are invited to embark on the pathways for action. 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...
Roberto Pizzolotto and Mauro Gobbi, guest editors of the open access journal "Insects" are inviting contributions for a Special Issue on "Insects in Mountain Ecosystems." This Special Issue will broadly address studies on insects in mountain ecosystems across all relevant disciplines, and, in this context, submissions in the form of reviews and original basic or applied research are welcome. Papers may be submitted until 31 March 2021 and accepted contributions will be published on an ongoing basis. 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...
The African Journal of Range & Forage Science is preparing a special Issue on "Montane Rangelands in a Changing World". The special issue welcomes contributions on all aspects of montane rangelands, particularly from southern Africa, but will also consider high quality contributions from around the world. The Journal will especially welcome papers on montane rangelands that juggle the same complexities as Southern Africa. Submissions may include original research, reviews and meta-analysis. Abstracts are due on 15 March 2020. 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...
Guest editor Dr. Katarzyna Ostapowicz is inviting contributions for a special issue in Remote Sensing on "Remote Sensing for Biodiversity & Conservation in Mountain and Polar Regions". This special issue is aiming to cover the most recent advances in techniques and algorithms to process remotely sensed information for ecology and conservation in the high-altitude and high-latitude regions. Read more and submit your manuscript by 31 July 2020...
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...
This Special Issue of Land aims to provide practitioners and policymakers with key information on the dynamics and changes in threatened mountain ecosystems and help them design and implement appropriate management strategies for sustainable mountain futures. Guest editors: Rob Marchant & Aida Cuni-Sanchez. Submission deadline: 30 December 2020. 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...
The Grassroots Institute organizes a 10 days summer field course and workshop on mountain ecosystems and resource management in Ukraine, 06-15.07.2020. The aim is to build perspectives and capacities of young researchers, PhD students, teachers, field practitioners and future leaders on regional mountain ecology, sustainable development, and local livelihoods. Read more...
The Afromontane Research Unit (ARU - South Africa) in collaboration with Wageningen University (The Netherlands) will be running an inter-disciplinary course on past, present, and future trajectories of landscape dynamics and developments. This course will take place 12-23 October 2020, in the northern Maloti-Drakensberg (South Africa-Lesotho). 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...
It is now possible to upload occurrence as well as inventory data directly online! Map of Life’s online tool is designed to help you easily load your biodiversity data to the Map of Life and Mountain Portal database, map them, compare and integrate them with other datasets, set permissions to share them publicly for use in other platforms, and publish them with a minted DOI. Try the tool with your own data!
Future Earth posted a blog that we wrote about our PEGASuS Project entitled "Toward biodiversity-related opportunities for sustainable development: a global social-ecological mountain comparison". Enjoy the read...
An important role for GMBA is to connect mountain biodiversity scientists. For that purpose, we have developed an online tool for the query of our database of members. The beta version is now online! Check it out!
During the past months, the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) in close collaboration with GMBA has developed an interactive webportal for the query and visualization of information about indigenous mountain communities worldwide. Read more...
On 24.10.2017 USGS releases the Global Mountain Explorer 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. With this product, MRI, who led the effort, achieves the first objective of the Group on Earth Observations - Global Network for Observation and Information in Mountain Environments (GEO-GNOME) work program. Read the full press release...
The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) and Map of Life (MOL) launch the Mountain Portal V2.0, now with more data and an improved user experience to the mountain biodiversity science community.
Alpandino (https://www.alpandino.org) is an e-learning course on alpine ecology developed by the University of Basel. The course contains lectures on various aspects of alpine ecology, including climate, microclimate, water issues, and soils, and also offers a photo-excursion to alpine habitats and treeline locations around the globe.
This course is a great entry point for a diverse audience, ranging from alpine zoologists and microbiologists to conservation experts and nature reserve managers. It serves also as an ideal preparation for field excursions or field weeks with students.
The course is available in English and Spanish.
Altenbergrain 21
3013 Bern