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The United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development
(UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, spawned a multitude of pro
grammes aimed at assessing, managing and conserving the earth's
biological diversity. One important issue addressed at the
conference was the mountain environment. A specific feature of high
mountains is the so-called alpine zone, i. e. the treeless regions
at the uppermost reaches. Though covering only a very small
proportion of the land surface, the alpine zone contains a rela
tively large number of plants, animals, fungi and microbes which
are specifi cally adapted to cold environments. This zone
contributes fundamentally to the planet's biodiversity and provides
many resources for mountain dwelling as well as lowland people.
However, rapid and largely man-made changes are affecting mountain
ecosystems, such as soil erosion, losses of habitat and genetic
diversity, and climate change, all of which have to be addressed.
As stated in the European Community Biodiversity Strategy, "the
global scale of biodiversity reduction or losses and the
interdependence of different species and ecosystems across national
borders demands concerted international action". Managing
biodiversity in a rational and sustainable way needs basic
knowledge on its qualitative and quantitative aspects at local,
regional and global scales. This is particularly true for
mountains, which are distributed throughout the world and are
indeed hot spots of biodiversity in absolute terms as well as
relative to the surrounding lowlands.
This is the first ever European-wide overview of biodiversity in alpine areas. The volume draws together taxonomic, ecological, historical, functional and climatic studies to develop a holistic understanding of biodiversity at and above the treeline. The main themes are: plant, vegetation and animal diversity, altitude gradients and spatial patterns, long-term changes and the effects of herbivores on diversity. These themes are introduced by a geo-biological scene setting and by a novel characterisation of alpine bio-climate. The comparisons of current and long-term observations and data emphasise the historical tradition of alpine biodiversity research in Europe. Analyses of taxonomic and assembly data at the continent-wide scale provide insight into pattern and its historical and ecological causes.
Drowning in flowers - with perceptive pictures and quirky texts
this award-winning book wants to plant in its readers a longing for
beauty, harmony, for the joy of recognition through knowledge.
Georg Grabherr, one of the most influential conservation
biologists, has created a domestic garden and incorporated key
biosphere reserve concepts. Over time, his garden has developed
into an ecological gem where the idea of "nature in the garden" has
been realised in exemplary manner. He guides us through the
phenological seasons that divide the year by the arrival of key
species, covers themes dear to the gardener's heart and engages in
a dialogue with nature, thoughtfully accepting and using what is
wild and spontaneous. He is asking whether the thousands of private
gardens can become a Noah's Ark, suitable for rescuing threatened
species. Award-winning photographer Lois Lammerhuber has captured
this amazing space throughout a whole gardening year and introduces
us to an unusual but convincing garden aesthetic.
This book is unique in providing a global overview of alpine (high
mountain) habitats that occur above the natural (cold-limited) tree
line, describing the factors that have shaped them over both
ecological and evolutionary timescales. The broad geographic
coverage helps synthesize common features whilst revealing
differences in the world's major alpine systems from the Arctic to
the Tropics. The words "barren" and "wasteland" have often been
applied to describe landscapes beyond the tree line. However, a
closer look reveals a large diversity of habitats, assemblages and
individual taxa in the alpine zone, largely connected to
topographic diversity within individual alpine regions.
The book considers habitat-forming factors (landforms, energy and
climate, hydrology, soils, and vegetation) individually, as well as
their composite impacts on habitat characteristics. Evolution and
population processes are examined in the context of the
responsiveness/resilience of alpine habitats to global change.
Finally, a critical assessment fo the potential impacts of climate
change, atmospheric pollutants and land use is made and related to
the management and conservation options available for these unique
habitats.
Interest in mountains continues to grow as their resource
importance is increasingly recognized. This accessible text is
suitable for both senior undergraduate and graduate students taking
courses in ecology and environmental sciences as well as the many
professional ecologists and conservation biologists requiring a
concise, authoritative overview of the topic.
Each of the books in the Oxford Biology of Habitats Series
introduces a different habitat, and gives an integrated overview of
the design, physiology, ecology, and behaviour of the organisms
found there. The practical aspects of working within each habitat,
the sorts of studies that are possible, and habitat biodiversity
and conservation status are all explored.
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