The Alps are one of Europe’s major biodiversity reservoirs. The diversity of relief, climate and altitude creates a mosaic of natural habitats ranging from mountain forests to alpine grasslands, rocky areas and glacial environments.
More than 30,000 animal and plant species have been identified across the Alpine arc. Some of them are endemic, meaning that they live nowhere else in the world. These species have developed remarkable adaptations to survive in extreme conditions: low temperatures, long snow cover and strong climatic variability.
However, Alpine ecosystems are particularly sensitive to environmental change. Rising temperatures, reduced snow cover and habitat transformation can deeply alter the ecological balance of these fragile mountain environments.
Glaciers play a key role in the functioning of mountain ecosystems. They act as natural freshwater reservoirs that feed many Alpine rivers during the summer season.
The gradual melting of glaciers also helps regulate river flow and influences the hydrological conditions of Alpine valleys. Many aquatic and terrestrial habitats depend directly on this dynamic.
The progressive disappearance of glaciers can therefore lead to major changes in water cycles, resource availability and the living conditions of many animal and plant species.
Since the end of the 19th century, the Alps have been warming faster than the global average. This climatic evolution has several consequences for mountain species.
Species specialized in cold environments are particularly vulnerable, because they have less space to migrate upward as temperatures rise.
Some Alpine species are particularly vulnerable to global warming and to the progressive transformation of high-mountain ecosystems.
In order to preserve Alpine biodiversity, several conservation actions have been implemented at national and European levels.
These initiatives aim to maintain the ecological balance of the Alpine mountains and reduce the impacts of environmental change on the most vulnerable species.
Conservation status: based on IUCN Red List categories.
The information presented on this page is an educational synthesis based on these scientific sources and on the literature dedicated to Alpine ecosystems.