Europe's mountains: rich in biodiversity but increasingly vulnerable

European mountain regions provide essential ecosystem services for lowlands and host a great diversity of habitats and species, many adapted to specific extreme climatic conditions. The European Environment Agency's new assessment of mountain ecosystems sheds light on their state and the pressures they face. Eighth in the series of '10 messages for 2010', the EEA's short report indicates that managing mountains sustainably relies on effective policies and actions at regional and local levels. Frameworks for cooperation are the basis for sustainable mountain management and development in Europe. Key pressures on mountains listed in the assessment: - Land abandonment - Climate change - Intensified agriculture - Impacts of infrastructure development - Unsustainable exploitation

Source: Source: European Environment Agency [1]