This volume contains a selection of 14 articles dealing with different aspects of biomonitoring and their relation to questions of global change. During the last 10 - 15 years, vegetation changes due to various causes have been more intensively studied in biological and environmental sciences. Especially aspects of global warming lead to a great variety of tasks for vegetation science (see e.g. the articles by Grabherr, Gottfried & Pauli; Carraro, Gianoni, Mossi, KlOtzli & Walther; Walther; Defila; Stampfli & Zeiter; Rothlisberger; Burga & Perret and Moller, WUthrich & Thannheiser). The different aspects of applied biomonitoring related to (possible) environmental changes concern various ecosystems, e.g. Central European beechwoods, Insubrian evergreen broad-leaved forests, thermophilous lowland deciduous forests, dry grasslands of the lower montane belt of the Ticino Alps, alpine mountain peaks of Switzerland and Austria, Swiss alpine timberline ecotones, and high arctic tundra vegetation. The volume is divided into three parts: A. General aspects of biomonitoring (contributions by KlOtzli; Wildi and Labasch & Otte) , B. Examples of applied biomonitoring in Germany and Switzerland (articles by Hakes; Herpin, Siewers, Kreimes & Markert; Defila; Stampfli & Zeiter; Rothlisberger and Ruoss, Burga & Eschmann), and C. Aspects of global change in the Alps and in the high arctic tundra (Grabherr, Gottfried & Pauli; Burga & Perret; Carraro, Gianoni, Mossi, KlOtzli & Walther; Walther and Moller, WUthrich & Thannheiser).

This volume does not aim at merely adding to the vast and increasing number of individual publications on biodiversity'. Rather it is our objective to investigate biodiversity on the previously little studied coenosis and landscape levels. Phytosociological and animal-ecological fields are considered, as well as theoretical approaches to biodiversity and aspects of its application in nature and landscape protection and preservation. Since biodiversity has so far been predominantly studied in the Anglo-American area, it seemed to be of value to discuss this complex topic from a central and southern European viewpoint, based on data gathered in these regions, and thus to promote a global discussion.

This volume contains a selection of 14 articles dealing with different aspects of biomonitoring and their relation to questions of global change. During the last 10 - 15 years, vegetation changes due to various causes have been more intensively studied in biological and environmental sciences. Especially aspects of global warming lead to a great variety of tasks for vegetation science (see e.g. the articles by Grabherr, Gottfried & Pauli; Carraro, Gianoni, Mossi, KlOtzli & Walther; Walther; Defila; Stampfli & Zeiter; Rothlisberger; Burga & Perret and Moller, WUthrich & Thannheiser). The different aspects of applied biomonitoring related to (possible) environmental changes concern various ecosystems, e.g. Central European beechwoods, Insubrian evergreen broad-leaved forests, thermophilous lowland deciduous forests, dry grasslands of the lower montane belt of the Ticino Alps, alpine mountain peaks of Switzerland and Austria, Swiss alpine timberline ecotones, and high arctic tundra vegetation. The volume is divided into three parts: A. General aspects of biomonitoring (contributions by KlOtzli; Wildi and Labasch & Otte) , B. Examples of applied biomonitoring in Germany and Switzerland (articles by Hakes; Herpin, Siewers, Kreimes & Markert; Defila; Stampfli & Zeiter; Rothlisberger and Ruoss, Burga & Eschmann), and C. Aspects of global change in the Alps and in the high arctic tundra (Grabherr, Gottfried & Pauli; Burga & Perret; Carraro, Gianoni, Mossi, KlOtzli & Walther; Walther and Moller, WUthrich & Thannheiser).

This volume does not aim at merely adding to the vast and increasing number of individual publications on biodiversity'. Rather it is our objective to investigate biodiversity on the previously little studied coenosis and landscape levels. Phytosociological and animal-ecological fields are considered, as well as theoretical approaches to biodiversity and aspects of its application in nature and landscape protection and preservation. Since biodiversity has so far been predominantly studied in the Anglo-American area, it seemed to be of value to discuss this complex topic from a central and southern European viewpoint, based on data gathered in these regions, and thus to promote a global discussion.