Int’l Mountain Day : Focus on Mountain biodiversity

International Mountain Day, held each year on 11th of December, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2003 to encourage sustainable development in mountains. International Mountain Day is observed every year with a different theme relevant to sustainable mountain development. Food and Agricultural Organisation is the United Nations Organisation mandated to lead observance of International Mountain Day. This year’s International Mountain Day is celebrated under the theme ‘Mountain Biodiversity’. Mountain ecosystems are found throughout the world occupying approximately one-fifth of its land surface. Mountains directly support 22 percent of the world’s people who live within mountain regions. Lowland people also depend on mountain environments for a wide range of goods and services, including water, energy, timber, biodiversity maintenance and opportunities for recreation and spiritual renewal. Mountains provide for the freshwater needs of more than half of humanity, and are, in effect, the water towers of the world. The world’s mountains encompass some of the most spectacular landscapes, a great diversity of species and habitat types, and distinctive human communities. Mountain ecosystems are important for biological diversity. Isolated mountain blocks are often rich in endemic species. Mountains harbour a significant portion of distinct ethnic groups, varied remnants of cultural traditions, environmental knowledge and habitat adaptations. They host some of the world’s most complex agro-cultural gene pools and traditional management practices. Mountain biodiversity plays a key role in the support of global environmental, economic, social and cultural sectors through connections to; invasive species, air pollution, climate change, mining, hydropower, tourism, forests and agriculture. Therefore the challenge is to sustainably manage mountain regions. Mountain biodiversity is facing threat from a number of factors. Ecosystem degradation and ecosystem conversion contributes to habitat fragmentation. Habitat loss from exploitation of resources, agricultural conversion, and urbanisation is the largest factor contributing to the loss of biodiversity. The consequent fragmentation of habitat results in small isolated patches of land that cannot maintain populations of species in the future. Exotic species Introductions Infestation by alien species, such as the Codling Moth, is also a major threat to BC ecosystems. The intentional and inadvertent introductions of a wide variety of species to ecosystems in which they do not belong to have resulted in ecosystems that differ radically in structure and functions from those originally present. Exotic species are typically introduced into ecosystems without their co-evolved predators and parasites, which enables an alien invader to out-compete native species with similar ecological requirements. Pollution from burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas can remain in the air as particle pollutants or fall to the ground as acid rain. Acid rain causes acidification of forest soils and contributes to slower forest growth and tree damage at high elevations. Global Climate Change is a major threat to mountain biodiversity. Carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels and biomass, deforestation, and agricultural practices contributes to green house gases, which prevent heat from escaping the earth’s surface. With the increase in temperature expected from increasing greenhouse gases, there will be higher levels of air pollution, greater variability in weather patterns, and changes in the distribution of vegetation in the landscape. Some species will not be able to adapt to these changes in the environment and will become extinct. Corridors and Connectivity also pose threat to mountain biodiversity. Such threats to biodiversity may cause the extinction of many species. Besides these hunting, poaching, conversion of mountain habitats into transport routes, house sites etc.
Establishment of hydropower projects and over-exploitation of mountain resources pose huge threats to mountain biodiversity. The sustainable management of mountain biodiversity has been increasingly recognised as a global priority. Sustainable development Goal 15, target 4, is dedicated to the conservation of mountains’ biodiversity in consideration of its global relevance. The SDG 15 reads as ‘ protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss’.A number of steps should be taken to conserve the mountain biodiversity. Appointment of officials and subsequent training to them and awareness of the general public may be helpful in conservation of mountain biodiversity.Removal of exotic species will allow the species that they have negatively impacted to recover their ecological niches. Exotic species that have become pests can be identified taxonomically. Protected areas, including forest reserves and biosphere reserves, serve many functions including protection to wild animals and their habitats. National parks, Zoological parks, Botanical gardens and Wildlife sanctuaries should be established in large numbers to protect the mountain biodiversity. Restrictive laws should be framed at the government level to prevent the exploitation of endangered species.The effective implementation of the wildlife protection Act 1972 may also prove a good step in the conservation process.Acts like poaching and hunting should be banned and emphasis should be given on habitat improvement and restoration of habitats. We can contribute in biodiversity conservation by increasing our knowledge of environmental issues, increasing our awareness of the impacts of biodiversity loss, and increasing support for government policies and actions that conserve our valuable ecosystems. We can become educators and role models as stewards of the environment by aiding in the recovery of species at risk and preventing other species from becoming at risk.
(The author is a freelancer. Views are his own)