Global Change Institute Lunchtime Seminar

Understanding past, present and future Mountain Ecosystem-Societal interactions to inform Sustainable Futures.

Mountains are topographically complex areas, play a fundamental role in shaping regional and continental-scale climates, underpin global processes, are a source to major river systems and support unique, and often highly biodiverse and threatened, ecosystems. Mountains cover only ~25% of the world’s total continental land surface yet are home to more than 85% of the world’s amphibians, birds, and mammals, many of which are entirely restricted to mountains. This amazing diversity is especially high in the tropics; where hotspots of extraordinary species richness commonly exhibit high levels of endemism and beta diversity at genetic, species, and ecosystem scales as well as being culturally diverse and of economic importance; directly supporting communities through the provision of a diverse range of ecosystem services.

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