Mountains in Transition

Dear Colleagues,

The mountains of the world occupy ~24% of the global area and are inhabited by ~12% of the global population. Mountains are characterized by steep relief, complex topography, cryospheric systems (snow, glaciers, permafrost), the compression of ecological vertical gradients, and specific human–environment subsystems, and provide a wide range of direct and indirect ecosystem services to human society. Ongoing climate change and alterations of montane and alpine land use systems caused by widespread socio-economic transformation processes are the major underlying drivers of the transition of mountain landscapes, affecting mountain systems and their ecosystem services. The fragility of high-elevation environments poses a tremendous challenge for sustainable land use and natural resource management.

In the Anthropocene, rates of climate warming in the world’s mountains substantially exceed the global mean, with dramatic effects on the cryosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Current climatic changes result in significantly declining snow-covered areas, widespread decreases in the area, length, and volume of glaciers and related hydrological changes, and to widespread permafrost degradation.   

Complex adaptations of mountain biota to novel constellations of bioclimatic and other site conditions are reflected in upslope migration and range shifts, treeline dynamics, invasion of non-native species, phenological shifts, and changes in primary production. Changes in mountain biodiversity are associated with modified structure, species composition, and functioning of alpine ecosystems, and compromise ecosystem services. Human systems have been negatively impacted by recent environmental changes, with both inhabitants of mountain regions as well as people living in surrounding lowlands being affected. Simultaneously, accelerating processes of economic globalization cause adaptation strategies in mountain communities, as expressed clearly in changing land use systems and mobility patterns, and in increasing marginalization of peripheral mountains and highlands. The prime objective of this Special Issue “Mountains in Transition” is to further improve our understanding of ongoing and future challenges and changes in mountains of the world, preferably based on inter- and transdisciplinary approaches.

This Special Issue invites contributions mainly focusing on:

• Historical and future climate changes;
• Climate change impacts on mountain cryosphere and hydrosphere;
• Human population dynamics/causes and effects of migration;
• Land use/land cover changes;
• Effects of climate and land-use change on mountain biosphere and biodiversity;
• Hazards, disasters, vulnerability, and risks in mountains;
• Agro-system changes and crop diversity;
• Impacts of infrastructure development in mountains;
• Indigenous/local knowledge and conservation practices.

This Special Issue is supported by the International Geographical Union (IGU), Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity.

Prof. Dr. Udo Schickhoff
Dr. Suraj Mal
Dr. Maria Bobrowski
Dr. Seema Rani
Guest Editors

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• climate change, snow cover, and glacier recession
• biodiversity loss
• land use/cover change
• vulnerability and risks
• human population
• mountain infrastructure