On a global scale there is considerable poverty among mountain inhabitants, which contributes to this environmental degradation. Mountain ecosystems contain considerable biodiversity and are home to many endangered species. Because of their vertical dimension, they include a rich variety of ecological systems. A mountain may include a number of different climatic systems, representing microcosms of larger habitat diversity.
Mountain ecosystems are also very sensitive to climatic changes.
The Chapter focuses on the need for more information about mountain ecology, resource potential and socio-economic activities in these ecosystems. These are briefly outlined below. The Chapter recognizes the need for using an integrated approach for conserving, upgrading and using the natural resource base of land, water, plant, animal and human resources. This was not a major issue for Canada, though they did support the general thrust of this chapter. Canada thought it was well placed to ensure sustainable mountain land use through its Green Plan, the Canada Land Inventory and the Forest Inventories.