Mountains - Goods and Services (EP1)

This is the first of a series of short explanatory films around mountains. For many, Mountains are the go-to place to reconnect to Nature, to relax and to enjoy a clean environment and fresh air. Mountains also provide us with many important goods, which we need for our daily lives and our health. Those goods include construction wood, fire wood, pastures for livestock, clean drinking water and clean air, among others.

All these goods are provided by mountain ecosystems, through complex processes, that are maintained by the community of different species and their interactions between them and with the abiotic environment. Those species are numerous. They comprise invisible microorganisms, tiny plankton species, small plants, trees, cryptic reptiles and amphibians, swift birds, and mammals. Altogether, those species produce organic matter, bind CO2, and produce oxygen. They destruct, rebuild, change, and shape the environment in so complex interactions that they are difficult to imagine.
Generally, Mountains are considered remote areas. We imagine them generally intact, little impacted by humans, and with no pollution. Unfortunately, this is not true. Human activities like mining, livestock, energy production and tourism impact on Mountains. Human activities pollute mountains, change them, and change the complex interaction network of the species communities living there. Mountains are very fragile environments and are among the regions that are most sensitive to climate change and to the impacts of human activities. They need protection, urgently.

The project GloMEc I run, funded by the AXA Research Fund, will contribute to our understanding of mountain freshwater ecosystems, the services they provide to human society and the risks we face with future changes of these sensitive ecosystems. We will investigate patterns of pollution, pathogens, microorganisms and global changes in mountain ecosystems to understand the interlinkages between biodiversity change, ecosystem health and human well-being.

Decision makers and stakeholders need to understand that even the most remote areas are strongly threatened by the dominant species of our planet, us.

(Images and drone flight realized with the derogatory authorization of the Pyrenees National Park.)

[nelluna]

Great video on mountain ecosystems and how fragile they are. Mountains are so important to us. Thank you Dirk to make that clear.
Superbe vidéo sur les écosystèmes montagnards et leur fragilité. Les montagnes sont importantes pour l'humanité. Merci Dirk de le mettre en avant.

[physioatique]

This is a wonderful contribution. More power to you.

[alexhardisty]

Nice video introducing an important topic that we all need to be more aware of - even those of us that spend most of our leisure time in the mountains.

[institutobiologiadelsuelo]

Excelente, en Peru contamos con una diversidad biologica muy importante en nuestras montañas, es cierto, se necesita de enfoques complementarios para valorar estos escenarios, no solo se trata de flora, fauna y comunidad. Los organismos del suelo, microorganismos son tan cruciales en todo.

[antoinefirmin]

Congratulations, very nice job!! Very professional (especially thanks to
the moving camera and sound effects). The pictures are awesome, and the
text is very interesting. With scientific informations, rythm (reduced
time), and beautiful landscapes, I think it is the good balance for a
successful "all-public diffusion" and an efficient awareness. :)