This talk is part of a session called Ten years of Essential Biodiversity Variables: How are we calculating them? at the Global Conference on Biodiversity and Monitoring, organised by GEO BON and its partners between 10-13 October 2023 in Montreal, Canada.
Mountain systems harbour unique and rich biodiversity and their ecological intactness are imperative for providing key ecosystem services. Ecological intactness of mountain systems is rapidly altered by anthropogenic pressures, while we lack monitoring data on mountain biodiversity. The Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) framework will help to focus efforts related to detecting, investigating, predicting, and managing global biodiversity change. key biological processes and physical phenomena that strongly influence biodiversity and ecosystems in mountains were reviewed, and seven mountain-relevant EBVs identified: Species composition, Species abundance, Ecosystem fragmentation, Ecosystem extent, Ecosystem heterogeneity, Species distribution and Ecosystem functional type. The proposed set of EBVs for mountains will ensure that the most critical drivers and responses of mountain biodiversity change are sufficiently well tracked and understood, enabling effective management and policy interventions. Both are urgently needed to halt further mountain biodiversity loss and to maintain functional mountain ecosystems, part of the global life support system.
On behalf of GEO Mountains, Roger Sayre will present Towards a Set of Essential Biodiversity Variables for Assessing Change in Mountains Globally during the session Ten Years of Essential Biodiversity Variables: How Are We Calculating Them?
Please note: All times are based on Canada/Eastern EDT.
Cover image by Tim Gouw.
