Throughout the world, more and more attention is being given to the conservation and sustainability of biological diversity in mountain ecosystems. Mountains are unique, incorporating the biological diversity of forests, inland waters, agricultural lands, as well as dry and sub-humid lands.

Canada's mountain ecosystems are located within the Boreal and Montane Cordillera Ecozones. These ecosystems provide a wide range of timber and non-timber forest products to local communities. They also supply fresh water to communities and ecosystems through extensive river systems that may run several thousand kilometres from their source, which is melting snow pack. Mountain ecosystems provide unique recreational and cultural opportunities for Canadians, as well as for people from around the world who consider mountains an integral part of the Canadian experience. Mountains can also be of spiritual significance to many people, particularly members of the First Nations.

The mountain forest ecozones account for 10 percent of the Canadian land mass and are found in British Columbia (66%), the Yukon (29%) and Alberta (5%). They contain mostly commercially productive forests (72%). Although mountain forest ecozones only constitute about 15 percent of Canadian forests by area, they provide important habitat for a wide range of plants, animals and smaller organisms.

Canada's mountain forest ecosystems are unique because of the magnitude of the area they cover, the high amount of rainfall they receive from moist air masses moving eastward from the Pacific Ocean, and their productivity. Indeed, they contain some of the only temperate mountain rainforests in the world. Others are found in parts of South America, Australia and New Zealand.

Mountain vulnerability to human and natural disturbances, and the low rates of ecosystem recovery following these disturbances; The relatively high susceptibility to climate change compared with lowland areas; The high degree of ecological and human connectivity with lowland areas, particularly with regard to water resources; The high levels of crop genetic diversity and the great potential for diversification of agricultural varieties; and The exceptional levels of human cultural diversity. Tree harvesting and other disturbances caused by humans can fragment or alter ecosystems, leading to loss of suitable habitat for endangered species or those in decline, such as mountain caribou and the Vancouver Island marmot. They can also cause loss of connectivity between different ecosystems, both vertically and horizontally. This can have serious impacts, particularly on animals that forage at different altitudes at different times of the year.

One of the specific challenges for maintaining biodiversity is that harvesting is taking place at increasingly higher elevations as commercial wood availability and market patterns change, and as operational difficulties are overcome. The sustainable use of these forests requires successful regeneration and recognition of realistic rotation lengths.

In terms of recreation, increased human access and resultant impacts can negatively affect the very environments that draw people in the first place. On the other hand, expanding protected areas to ensure the integrity of mountain forest ecosystems and their biodiversity can negatively affect local economies. A balance must be struck between these important values.