Climate change in mountain ecosystems: An Andean Perspective at IPROMO 2012

The 2012 course of the International Programme on Research and Training on Sustainable Management of Mountain Areas (IPROMO) summarized the state of the art on the relationship between mountains and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Likewise, the most important international agreements reached in order to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Kyoto Protocol, were analysed in the light of mountain concerns.

The Andes are the most populated mountain region in the world and are incredibly important for the economies of the seven Andean countries, providing agricultural area, mineral resources, and water (Condesan 2012). However, several pressures related to global change threaten the stability and increase the vulnerability of this region (Garcia & Rodriguez 2012).

These pressures were discussed at IPROMO 2012, with reference to how the challenges imposed by climate change can be exacerbated by current trends of expanding populations (growth and migration), expanding agricultural areas and intensification, and increasing mineral extraction.

In terms of the carbon cycle in Andean ecosystems, it was evident that some of the important technical issues have not yet gained appropriate recognition in international reports. For instance, mountain soils in the Andes can retain three times more carbon than vegetation given the low rates of mineralization and nutrient cycling at high altitudes, leading to a net absorption of atmospheric CO2, which is stored in soils, contrary to low-land ecosystems (Garcia 2003)

Similarly, the high vulnerability of Andean ecosystems to climate change was highlighted. For example, high mountain ecosystems, such as paramos or puna, could lose 75% of their original surface area under a scenario with a doubled CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.

Finally, in terms of further research needs on climate change and mountains in the Andes, the importance of detailed vulnerability analyses at regional and sub-regional levels was highlighted, integrating the framework and variables included in a recent report on managing the risks of extreme events and disasters (IPCC 2012). These analyses should consider the influence of explicit and implicit sectorial policies with potential to influence the vulnerability and stability of the region. Furthermore, it is important to circulate widely information and research results so that they are included and recognized at a global level in international reports.