Regional Mountain Conference

Mountain ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to global changes, including climate and land-use changes. While habitats at lower elevations have been historically shaped by intense land-use change, those at higher elevations are now responding more rapidly to accelerated warming and the consequent shifts in traditional land management. Pollinating insects provide crucial ecosystem services and serve as an ideal model system for investigating climate and land-use change, particularly in mountainous regions. Indeed, pollinating insects’ responses may include phenological plasticity or shifts in spatial distribution towards favorable conditions. Despite their importance, long-term monitoring schemes in the European Alps remain scarce. In addition, existing monitoring initiatives show heterogeneous methodologies and protocols that further limit a comprehensive understanding of pollinating insect distribution and populations trends. To identify which (long-term) monitoring schemes exist across the European Alps, we integrated three complementary approaches: (i) a targeted online survey, (ii) structured phone interviews to entities responsible for biodiversity monitoring, and (iii) a comprehensive literature review. Preliminary results revealed that a large amount of ongoing long-term monitoring occurs below 2,000 m asl, indicating a limited understanding of high-elevation habitats compared with lowlands. Additionally, taxonomic coverage is uneven, with butterflies standing as one of the most monitored groups, whereas wild bees, hoverflies and moths receive comparatively less attention. We quantitatively and qualitatively mapped long-term pollinator monitoring initiatives across the European Alps. Our findings highlight an urgent need for harmonization of long-term monitoring protocols. Our overview of long-term monitoring schemes will integrate the European Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (EU PoMS) that will scarcely cover the alpine habitat. Results will aim at enabling cross-border coordination for an effective assessment of climate and land-use driven changes in mountain pollinator communities.