Mountain aquatic biodiversity

The overall goal of this working group is to summarize existing knowledge on and foster understanding of biodiversity in mountain aquatic ecosystems. This includes understanding current and future risks for aquatic mountain biodiversity in order to e.g. predict biodiversity losses and outline their consequences. Specific objectives include:

• Classify mapped and inventoried mountain aquatic ecosystems with regard to their functional and morphological characteristics
• Create an overview of existing and missing data, information, and knowledge on mountain aquatic biodiversity and its drivers
• Identify and understand the main drivers of change and major threats to mountain aquatic biodiversity: how can detected trends in aquatic mountain biodiversity be explained
• Share experience with and develop guidelines for long-term monitoring of aquatic biodiversity in mountains: what biodiversity variables can inform about the status and trends in mountain aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity and where/how should they be measured
• Share experience with and develop guidelines for the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of mountain aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity

• Sentinel Lake
  French high-altitude lake monitoring network aiming at a better understanding mountain lakes and their threats in view of improving their protection and management.


• Global Lake Ecology Observatory Network (GLEON)
  The Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network conducts innovative science by sharing and interpreting high resolution sensor data to understand, predict and communicate the role and response of lakes in a changing global environment.


• Climate response of alpine lakes: resistance variability and management consequences for ecosystem services (CLAIMES)
  The central aim of this 3 years project is to find out how ongoing climate change affects the function of alpine lakes and in consequence the provision of ES requiring new management advices taking climate change into account.


• Impacts of global change on alpine water ecosystems (AlpWater)
  The aim of the project is to reach an integrated comprehension of the processes and dynamics of water ecosystems in the Alps.


• LAKES: Past, present and future of alpine lakes
  The LAKES team studies how lakes in and around the Alps have been responding to environmental changes. The focus is on both biogeochemistry and ecology, covering different space and time perspectives


• Lacs des Pyrénnées
  Inventory of Pyrenean lakes


• CHAIRE AXA : Ecologie fonctionnelle des montagnes
  The AXA Functional Mountain Ecology Chair, led by Dirk Schmeller studies the effects of climate change, pollution and pathogens on mountain ecosystems and the services they provide, including the supply of clean drinking water to millions of people.


• People, Pollution and Pathogens project
  The P3 project, funded by the AXA Research Fund, Belmont Forum, DFG and others, contributes to our understanding of mountain freshwater ecosystems, the services they provide to human society, and the risks we face with future changes of these sensitive ecosystems. The project team investigates patterns of pollution, pathogens, microorganisms, and global changes in mountain ecosystems to understand the interlinkages between biodiversity change, ecosystem health, and human well-being.


• Mountains, a fragile source of life
  Mountains are an important part of the global life-support system. Dirk Schmeller's videos give insights in mountain goods and services, why mountains are sentinels of change, major threats to mountain ecosystems, what the microbiome is and why it is important, and why fish are a detrimental force in mountain lakes.