While most people recognize the Alps as a popular destination for skiers and hikers, the coniferous and mixed forests of these breathtaking mountains also make up one of the hottest spots for biodiversity in Europe. In areas hidden from ski slopes and resorts, a thriving natural world exists. About 4,500 species of vascular plants, 800 species of mosses, 300 liverwort species, 2,500 species of lichens, and more than 5,000 species of fungi are found here. What’s more, there are about 21 species of amphibians, 15 species of reptiles, hundreds of bird species, and about 80 species of mammals in the Alps Conifer and Mixed Forests ecoregion, including many large herbivores such as the chamois. And there are twenty times as many invertebrates as there are vertebrates in this ecoregion.
Read more: View WWF Report