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Biological invasions are among the most pervasive threats to biodiversity, ecosystem
functioning, and human well-being. Despite international policy efforts, the number of
introductions continues to rise worldwide. Mountains, once considered resistant to biological
invasions due to harsh climates and isolation, are becoming increasingly vulnerable.
Human activities—tourism, infrastructure development, and land-use change—combined
with climate warming, are creating new pathways and suitable conditions for non-native
plants to spread upslope. Global evidence shows a rapid increase in alien species richness
in mountain ecosystems, with some taxa shifting elevation by hundreds of meters. The
problem of biological invasions becomes critical when considering that mountains harbor
nearly a quarter of the planet’s total biodiversity. This issue is even more concerning
in biodiversity hotspots such as the Mediterranean Basin, where mountains present an
exceptionally high rate of endemism and have served as glacial refugia. The Pyrenees
exemplify this dynamic: historically shaped by millennia of human activity, they now
face growing pressures from tourism and climate change. Recent cataloging efforts reveal
771 alien taxa, surpassing figures for larger ranges like the Alps. These findings challenge
long-held assumptions about mountain resilience and underscore the urgent need for
coordinated monitoring, early detection, and management strategies—including citizen
science initiatives—to mitigate ecological impacts and protect mountain biodiversity under
accelerating global change.
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Plants, vol. 15, núm. 4 (2026)