119Climate Change and Its Effect on Ecosystems
and provide a home to 10 percent of the world’s population. These regions
function as the principal source of water for half of the world’s population.
If climate change negatively impacted mountain ecosystems, the repercus-
sions could be signicant.
According to Dr. Ives, “the most severe examples of environmental and
socioeconomic degradation—now near total disaster—are the Hindu Kush
in Afghanistan, the Karakorum and western Himalaya, and the disputed
territory of Kashmir” (Ives, 2002).
Other mountain ranges in trouble included in the United Nation’s report
as “ecologically endangered” are the European Alps, the Sierra Chincua in
central Mexico, the Amber Mountains in Madagascar, the Snowy M ...