Although palustrine wetlands cover only about 6% of the earth’s surface, they are among the most productive and socio-economically valuable ecosystems globally. However, these ecosystems are facing various threats. The current study uses literature and field observations to explore the montane palustrine wetlands of Lesotho, in terms of their distribution, coverage, vegetation, ecosystem services, status, major threats and conservation. The study found that despite occurring throughout the country, the highest density of the wetlands is associated with the central and eastern parts, and generally declines towards the south and west as the rainfall decreases and the altitude becomes lower. The wetlands are rich in plant diversity and deliver various ecosystem services, including water, livestock grazing, harvestable resources, carbon storage and crop cultivation. Therefore, these wetlands play an important role at the local, national and regional scales and form an important water resource for Lesotho, South Africa and Namibia. Despite their value, some of the wetlands have been lost and the condition of those remaining is declining, mainly due to anthropogenic factors. Nevertheless, various conservation and restoration activities have been implemented in an attempt to conserve and manage these ecosystems. Despite these efforts, wetland loss and degradation continue, to the detriment of wetland biodiversity and ecosystem service delivery. Thus, this study recommends the scaling-up of the conservation efforts, as well as mainstreaming wetland conservation and management, including emphasising the wise use of these systems. Emphasis should be placed on regulating livestock grazing and trampling, harvesting of natural resources, infrastructure development and cultivation in the wetlands.

尽管沼泽湿地仅占地球表面的 6% 左右，但它们是全球生产力和社会经济价值最高的生态系统之一。然而，这些生态系统正面临着各种威胁。目前的研究使用文献和实地观察来探索莱索托山地沼泽湿地的分布、覆盖范围、植被、生态系统服务、现状、主要威胁和保护。研究发现，尽管在全国各地都有发生，但湿地的最高密度与中部和东部有关，随着降雨量的减少和海拔的降低，湿地的密度普遍向南部和西部下降。湿地植物多样性丰富，提供各种生态系统服务，包括水、牲畜放牧、可收获资源、碳储存和作物种植。因此，这些湿地在地方、国家和区域范围内发挥着重要作用，是莱索托、南非和纳米比亚的重要水资源。尽管具有价值，但一些湿地已经消失，剩余的湿地状况正在恶化，这主要是由于人为因素造成的。尽管如此，为了保护和管理这些生态系统，已经实施了各种保护和恢复活动。尽管做出了这些努力，湿地的丧失和退化仍在继续，损害了湿地生物多样性和生态系统服务的提供。因此，本研究建议扩大保护工作，并将湿地保护和管理纳入主流，包括强调明智地使用这些系统。