Global loss of mountain vegetated landscapes and its impact on biodiversity conservation

Abstract

Accelerating human encroachment and natural disasters are causing substantial loss of mountain vegetated landscapes, threatening biodiversity conservation and ecosystem sustainability. The global-scale quantification of the magnitude, variability and drivers of the loss of mountain vegetated landscapes, and its impact on biodiversity conservation, however, has been lacking. Here, we combine global datasets on mountain boundaries, land use, natural disasters, and protected and biodiversity hotspots together with large-scale earth observation data to quantify global mountain vegetated landscape loss, as well as its variation and potential drivers from 2000 to 2020. Overall, we find widespread but uneven mountain vegetated landscape loss across the globe, of which ∼89% can be attributed to human expansion, primarily agriculture, with small contributions of human settlement growth and mining. About ∼11% of mountain vegetated landscape loss can be attributed to natural disasters, primarily through drought. We also observe that ~56% of global mountain vegetated landscape loss occurred within protected areas and in areas with high richness of threatened mountain-occurring species, indicating the urgency of improving protection in these areas of loss. Our results can help formulate conservation strategies and contribute to sustainable development.