Mountain ecosystems are being disrupted by global warming, with ramifications ranging from water supply and agriculture to tourism and wildlife.
The mountains of the globe are harsh, but sensitive. They have a big impact on even far-flung lowlands, but they are also extremely vulnerable to climate change. Temperatures in mountainous locations are rising at a much higher rate than in other environments. Snow and glaciers are melting as a result, affecting water systems, biodiversity, natural disasters, agriculture, and tourism.
Lower elevation snow cover could drop by as much as 80% if emissions continue unabated, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Glaciers are melting as well, with a similar melt projected in the European Alps at current CO2 levels. High mountain locations contain as least a quarter of the world’s permafrost. As permafrost thaws, massive volumes of greenhouse gases are released.
Climate change has a significant impact on water systems, although the impacts vary through time. With faster melting, glacier-fed river systems experience a surge in flow. Rivers weaken in locations where glacier cover has been much reduced, such as Peru’s Cordillera Huayhuash mountain range, due to less seasonal melt. Many smaller glacier sections have already reached that tipping point.
The composition of animals in mountain areas has changed as a result of climate change. As more regions open up for them to thrive, some flora and animals, such as lowland bird species, benefit. However, species that are cold-adapted, such as snowshoe hares in North America and snow leopards in Central and South Asia, must go higher up the mountains to survive.
Mountain slopes are becoming less stable as glaciers retreat and permafrost thaws, resulting in more frequent rockfalls, landslides, and flooding. Wildfires are on the rise, especially in the western United States, where snow melts faster. Furthermore, melting glaciers will release heavy metals like mercury, as well as other legacy toxins.
High mountain regions are home to over 10% of the world’s population. However, with diminishing economic opportunities and a larger risk of natural calamities, life there is becoming more marginal. Mountain sceneries’ aesthetic, spiritual, and cultural qualities are all influenced. The disappearance of glaciers, for example, is seen as a danger to the ethnic identity of Nepal’s indigenous Manangi population.
Mountain farming and tourists suffer economic losses as temperatures climb. High-altitude infrastructure, such as roads, trains, pipelines, and buildings, suffers from the destabilization of the foundations on which they were erected. Thawing glaciers have revealed mining prospects in some locations, but taking use of these opportunities might lead to other issues, such as pollution.
Skiing, glacier tourism, and climbing have all suffered as a result of less snow and thawing permafrost. The world’s highest ski resort is a depressing exhibition of rusting ski lifts in Bolivia, which has lost half of its glaciers in the previous 50 years. Ski resorts are increasingly dependent on artificial snow, which has a high environmental cost, while others are turning to alternate sports to compensate for shorter seasons.
Local farmers are experiencing lower agricultural harvests as glaciers retreat, lowering the amount of water that flows down to rivers and valleys. This is compounded by the fact that hydropower operations are suffering. Farmers in Nepal are struggling with drier soils, which makes growing potatoes and feed more difficult. Others, on the other hand, are converting to new crops that are more suited to warmer climates.
