Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Biogeography, Kunming Institute of Botany (CAS), 132 Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming 650204, China.
Conserv Biol. 2009 Jun;23(3):520-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01237.x.
The Greater Himalayas hold the largest mass of ice outside polar regions and are the source of the 10 largest rivers in Asia. Rapid reduction in the volume of Himalayan glaciers due to climate change is occurring. The cascading effects of rising temperatures and loss of ice and snow in the region are affecting, for example, water availability (amounts, seasonality), biodiversity (endemic species, predator-prey relations), ecosystem boundary shifts (tree-line movements, high-elevation ecosystem changes), and global feedbacks (monsoonal shifts, loss of soil carbon). Climate change will also have environmental and social impacts that will likely increase uncertainty in water supplies and agricultural production for human populations across Asia. A common understanding of climate change needs to be developed through regional and local-scale research so that mitigation and adaptation strategies can be identified and implemented. The challenges brought about by climate change in the Greater Himalayas can only be addressed through increased regional collaboration in scientific research and policy making.
喜马拉雅山脉拥有除极地地区以外最大的冰体，是亚洲十大河流的源头。由于气候变化，喜马拉雅冰川的体积正在迅速减少。该地区气温上升和冰雪消融的连锁反应正在影响着水资源的可利用性（数量、季节性）、生物多样性（特有物种、捕食者-猎物关系）、生态系统边界变化（树线移动、高海拔生态系统变化）和全球反馈（季风变化、土壤碳损失）。气候变化还将带来环境和社会影响，这可能会增加亚洲各地人类的水资源供应和农业生产的不确定性。需要通过区域和地方尺度的研究来形成对气候变化的共同认识，以便确定和实施缓解和适应战略。只有通过加强在科学研究和政策制定方面的区域合作，才能应对喜马拉雅山脉气候变化带来的挑战。
