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Climate change, perceptions, and adaptation responses among farmers and pastoralists in the Cameroon Highlands
Growing mining contribution to Colombian deforestation
State of the landscape and dynamics of loss and fragmentation of forest critically endangered in the tropical Andes hotspot: Implications for conservation planning
Altitudinal zonation of green algae biodiversity in the French Alps
Scenario archetypes reveal risks and opportunities for global mountain futures
Land abandonment in mountain areas of the EU: an inevitable side effect of farming modernization and neglected threat to sustainable land use
Forests, farms, and fallows: the dynamics of tree cover transition in the southern part of the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania
Intraspecific convergence of floral size correlates with pollinator size on different mountains: a case study of a bumblebee-pollinated Lamium (Lamiaceae) flowers in Japan
Drivers and mechanisms of forest change in the Himalayas
Grade of Membership models reveal geographical and environmental correlates of floristic structure in a temperate biodiversity hotspot
Montane species track rising temperatures better in the tropics than in the temperate zone
Spatial phylogenomics of acrobat ants in Madagascar—Mountains function as cradles for recent diversity and endemism
Recent and subfossil diatom assemblages as indicators of environmental change (including fish introduction) in a high-mountain lake
Using diatoms and physical and chemical parameters to unveil cow-pasture impact in peat cores from a mountain mire in the south-eastern Alps
Assessing nature-based solutions for transformative change
Phenological and elevational shifts of plants, animals and fungi under climate change in the European Alps
Spatiotemporal patterns of burned areas, fire drivers, and fire probability across the equatorial Andes
Anuran assemblages and spatial heterogeneity in a paramo ecosystem of Colombia
Ecosystem services show variable responses to future climate conditions in the Colombian páramos
Fine-scale multiannual survey of benthic invertebrates in a glacier-fed stream used for hydropower generation
Climate and multiple dimensions of plant diversity regulate ecosystem carbon exchange along an elevational gradient
Endemism increases species' climate change risk in areas of global biodiversity importance
Climate change and anthropogenic food manipulation interact in shifting the distribution of a large herbivore at its altitudinal range limit
The impact of land-use legacies and recent management on natural disturbance susceptibility in mountain forests
Environmental and anthropogenic factors shape major bacterial community types across the complex mountain landscape of Switzerland
Historical legacies and contemporary processes shape beta diversity in Neotropical montane streams
Decline in forest bird species and guilds due to land use change in the Western Himalaya
Dynamics in plant diversity and composition on Australian alpine summits over time
Global patterns and drivers of alpine plant species richness
Contrasting response of native and non‐native plants to disturbance and herbivory in mountain environments
Long-term vegetation change in the Western Tien-Shan Mountain pastures, Central Asia, driven by a combination of changing precipitation patterns and grazing pressure
Changes in soil chemistry and foliar metabolism of Himalayan Cedar (Cedrus deodara) and Himalayan Spruce (Picea smithiana) along an elevational gradient at Kufri, HP, India: the potential roles of regional pollution and localized grazing
How mountains and elevations shape the spatial distribution of beetles in Peninsular Malaysia
Lepanthes marielana (Orchidaceae, Pleurothallidinae), a new species from the eastern Andes in Colombia
New records of mammals of the Coffee Region, Central Andes of Colombia using citizen science
Species richness, geographical affinities and activity patterns of mammals in premontane andean forests of the Magdalena river basin of Colombia
Mapping water ecosystem services: Evaluating InVEST model predictions in data scarce regions
Seeing the wood despite the trees: Exploring human disturbance impact on plant diversity, community structure, and standing biomass in fragmented high Andean forests
Conservation planning for people and nature in a Chilean biodiversity hotspot
Predicting spatial patterns of soil bacteria under current and future environmental conditions
Mountains act as museums and cradles for hemipteran insects in China: evidence from patterns of richness and phylogenetic structure
Low spatial autocorrelation in mountain biodiversity data and model residuals
Mountain surface processes and regulation
Five animal phyla in glacier ice reveal unprecedented biodiversity in New Zealand's Southern Alps
Repeated surveying over 6 years reveals that fine-scale habitat variables are key to tropical mountain ant assemblage composition and functional diversity
Ant diversity and community composition in alpine tree line ecotones
An integrative approach to infer systematic relationships and define species groups in the shrub frog genus Raorchestes, with description of five new species from the Western Ghats, India
Pollination in the campo rupestre : a test of hypothesis for an ancient tropical mountain vegetation
Periglacial landforms in the high Drakensberg, Southern Africa: morphogenetic associations with rock weathering rinds and shrub growth patterns
The imperiled alpine grasslands of the Afrotropic realm
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
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
A two-year postdoctoral position is available in the department of Geography at the University of the Free State, QwaQwa campus. The postdoc will work with an interdisciplinary team examining the links between migration, entrepreneurship and sustainable development in QwaQwa. Read more...
Registration is now open for the First Southern African Mountain Conference (SAMC2022). SAMC2022 is organised by the African Mountain Research Foundation (AMRF), in association with the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU – University of the Free State) and Global Mountain Safeguard Research (GLOMOS – United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security and Eurac Research), and will be held at the Champagne Sports Resort in the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains, from 14 to 17 March 2022. Read more...
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...
The Call for Abstracts for the First Southern African Mountain Conference (SAMC2022) is now open. SAMC2022 is organised by the African Mountain Research Foundation (AMRF), in association with the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU – University of the Free State) and Global Mountain Safeguard Research (GLOMOS – United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security and Eurac Research), and will be held at the Champagne Sports Resort in the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains, from 14 to 17 March 2022. 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...
Mountain Research and Development is looking for trans- and interdisciplinary contributions that help understand the links between hazards, vulnerabilities, disaster management, and diverse dimensions of development, adaptation, and global change. Insights into integrative approaches to improving disaster management across the entire cycle from prevention to recovery are also highly welcome. Full papers are due by 1 September 2021. Read more...
The deadline for contributions to a Special Issue on "Insects in Mountain Ecosystems" has been extended to 31 December 2021. 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. Accepted contributions will be published on an ongoing basis. Read more...
Our planet is undergoing major environmental change, which is causing many plants to experience conditions harsher than those they are adapted to. In response, they can modify their distribution ranges, adapt to the new environmental conditions, or go extinct locally. The goal of this special issue is to bring together observational, experimental and theoretical studies on the ecology and evolution of plants in extreme environments. Deadline for manuscript submission: 30 September 2021. Read more...
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 next International Mountain Conference is in the making. Stay tuned...
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...
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