The value of mountains is not limited to their aesthetic view, with their high altitude and rugged terrain. Mountains also play an important role in mitigating the damage of climate change.
Mountains cover 25% of the Earth's area, and large numbers of creatures live there that are suitable for mountainous environmental conditions, but they face many of the dangers that the planet faces.
According to a study published in the "Science” journal, mountainous environments contain 85% of the birds, mammals and amphibians on Earth, and large numbers of them are unable to live in other environments.
Mountains play a role in wind movement and cloud formation, and contribute to providing water for billions of the Earth's population. According to the World Economic Forum, 60 to 80% of the world's fresh water is transported through it.
Many crops grow in mountainous lands, such as coffee, cocoa, and all kinds of spices, while some of the mountains of the Arab world are covered with olive trees, grapes, apples, tomatoes, and others.
Professor of Geology at Cairo University, “Dr. Abbas Sharaqi”, told “Green in Arabic” that mountains participate in the rain system with winds and clouds coming from the evaporation of ocean water, and determine the climate of the region in which they are located, such as rainfall in the St. Catherine area in Egypt due to the mountains.
Regarding the phenomenon of global warming, “Sharaqi” spoke about the effects of rising global temperatures on a number of mountainous areas, such as Mount Kilimanjaro on the Tanzanian-Kenyan border, which witnessed a decline in the amount of snow at its peak as a result of melting.
He added: “Erosion factors are also affected by changes that may occur in sea level and rainwater levels, but the impact on mountainous environments is still very slow.”
“Sharaqi” also believes that it is necessary to measure the average weather phenomena over long years of no less than 30 years to ensure that they fall within climate changes, and are not normal phenomena.
Mountain forests
Nearly a third of the world's forests are located in mountainous areas, which in turn contribute to preventing erosion and rock collapses, regulating temperatures, and absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This contributes to alleviating the climate crisis, according to the World Economic Forum.
The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by forests annually amounts to 2.4 billion metric tons, but scientific evidence has proven that the absorption capabilities of forests vary according to the environment in which they are located.
Mountains play a role in wind movement and cloud formation, and contribute to providing water for billions of people as 60 to 80% of the world's fresh water is transported through it.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona revealed that mountain forests contribute to greater degrees of carbon absorption compared to their plain counterparts, according to the university’s official website.
According to the same study, mountains increase the ability of surrounding trees to perform their function, starting with absorbing moisture from the atmosphere, condensing it at high altitude, forming snow and contributing to rainfall that eventually reaches the trees below. This increases its ability to absorb carbon dioxide, due to the concentration of moisture in the soil.
Mountains and climate changes
The temperature of mountains around the world is rising at twice the rate seen in other environments, and climate change increases the risk of rock-slides and river flooding, in addition to threatening water sources for millions of people due to the disappearance of glaciers, according to a study by the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, published by the Journal “Peerl”.
In times of drought, which is exacerbated by global warming, the behavior of mountain forests may change, increasing their water consumption. This affects the quantities that reach riverbeds, and poses a threat to cities and other environments.
One study conducted by North Carolina State University on the Blue Mountains in the USA observed an increase in water consumption during some times of drought. This makes it more difficult for plants located at lower altitudes to adapt, and their degree of growth is affected. This is after analyzing data for the period between 1984-2020.
In the Arab world, the distribution of mountains varies between several ranges; The most prominent are the Red Sea Mountains, the Levant, and the Atlas Mountains in the Moroccan region.
The importance of mountains varies from one country to another depending on the degree to which the population relies on them, but the effects of climate phenomena have begun to become clear in recent years, the most prominent of which is the decline in rainfall rates.
On the other hand, “Sharaqi” points out the danger of rain falling on the mountains, because the soil in high areas is exposed to greater degrees of erosion due to rain falling on its sloping terrain causing floods.
The behavior of mountain forests may change to increase their water consumption; This affects the quantities that reach riverbeds and poses a threat to cities and other environments
It's not temporary
As for human activities, “Abbas Sharaqi” considered that it is necessary to protect the natural vegetation cover by confronting deforestation and cutting down trees. A balance must be struck between planting new trees and cutting operations in order to maintain environmental balance. He also pointed out the limited impact of vegetation cover on climate changes so far.
According to what he saw, to achieve a balance between urban developments and human activities on the one hand and preserving the mountain environment on the other, natural reserves must be established in threatened areas, and some activities, such as hunting, logging, or mining, must be prohibited.
For his part, “Dirk Schmeler”, professor of biological conservation at the National Polytechnic Institute of the French University of Toulouse, said that the phenomena witnessed by the mountains in some Arab countries are not merely temporary phenomena, expecting that climate changes will exacerbate drought waves that are expected to continue for longer periods.
“Schmeler”, who works as the director of the “GloMEc” research project on mountain environments, pointed out to “Green in Arabic” that ecosystems are slow to respond to changes. If carbon dioxide emissions stopped completely, it would take several decades for the global climate to regain balance, whether in mountainous environments or elsewhere.
Regarding the impact of climate changes on mountain crops, he believes that irregular weather conditions will lead to a decrease in production, and thus farmers will not be able to continue working in the usual way. They must adapt by choosing crops suitable for these conditions, and choosing the method in which they will grow.
