P³ – People, Pollution and Pathogens
The P3 project does conduct ecological research and policy relevant actions on pollution, pathogens and anthropological impacts in mountain ecosystems, especially at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial habitats and in the socio-ecological system. The research is conducted in four mountain ranges: the Pyrenees (France), Dhofar Mountains (Oman), Sierra Nevada (USA) and the Great Hinggan Mountain (China). The mountain ranges proposed to be studied in P3 are on different continents with shared characteristics, but also with differences allowing for the analysis of the different societal and ecological contexts, which will be studied along altitudinal gradients. P3 will augment, align and focus research strands already ongoing in the institutions of P3 partners. The principal aim of P3 is to understand the impact of climate change on mountain watersheds and the risks for stakeholders and the general public.
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GloMEC – Global change in mountain ecosystems
Mountain ecosystems and the services they provide to society face multiple threats arising from global change and its interactions with socio-cultural, economic and political developments. In particular, high-altitude mountain freshwater ecosystems have been, and will continue to be, severely impacted by global change, threatening the livelihood of more than 50% of the human population. For example species that occur in mountain ranges are experiencing distributional shifts, habitat loss, and extinctions, which are predicted to increase worldwide. We now urgently need estimates of global change impacts for mountain ranges and their biodiversity to better understand the degree of threat to human well-being and wildlife, and to be able to predict future impacts on ecosystem health and risks for the human society (main AXA Cluster: Climate and Environment).
Future climate projections and both past and current observations clearly indicate that freshwater resources are vulnerable and have the potential to be strongly impacted by climate change. Climate and global change will favor chemical pollution in mountain freshwater ecosystems through meterological processes working over long-distances and carrying pollutants from lowlands to high altitudes. Climate change may further destabilize ecosystems through extreme events (drouts, floods, warm winters, cold summers), allowing human and wild pathogens to proliferate. A serious reduction in the availabilty of water of good quality will be the result. Without clean water, risks for human disease will become more and more serious. Due to such unfavorable impacts on mountain freshwater systems, population growth, economic activity, land-use and urbanization will be negatively affected. Despite the importance of freshwater for human society, studies on the relationship between global change, pollution and pathogens remain scarce, not allowing to assess risks for ecosystem and human health. Especially pathogens and parasites must be recognized as important stressors in freshwater ecosystems, as they can cause system-wide depletion of key biological elements. Pathogen-induced changes directly influence communities, ecosystems, landscapes, and human activity. Such changes will lead to a deterioration of ecosystem functioning and ecosystem service provision to human society (e.g. clean water, food, wood, and recreation).
