1st Edition

Mountain Biodiversity A Global Assessment

Edited By Christian Korner, Eva M. Spehn Copyright 2002
    350 Pages 2 Color & 113 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    This book is the result of the first global conference on mountain biodiversity, and is a contribution to the International Year of Mountains, 2002. The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment program is a Special Target Area Region project of DIVERSITAS (UNESCO and UNEP). Biological diversity is essential for the integrity of mountain ecosystems and this dependency is likely to increase as environmental (climate) and social conditions change. Steep terrain and climate, and severe land-use pressure cause mountain ecosystems to rank among the world's most endangered landscapes. The 28 chapters in this book represent research on the biological riches in all major mountain ranges of the world, and synthesize existing knowledge on mountain biodiversity - from diversity of bacteria, plants and animals to human diversity. The book is divided into five sections: an introduction providing an overview of the issues; plant and animal diversity; climate change and mountain biodiversity; land use and conservation; and a synthesis.

    Mountain biodiversity: its causes and function: an overview
    Intraspecific genetic diversity in alpine plants
    Causes and consequences of alpine vascular plant diversity in the Rocky Mountains
    Biodiversity of the vascular timberline flora in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada
    Plant species richness and endemism of upper montane forests and timberline habitats in the Bolivian Andes
    Biotope patterns, phytodiversity and forestline in the Andes, based on GIS and remote sensing data
    Multi-scale patterns in plant species richness of European high mountain vegetation
    Environmental determinants of vascular plant species richness in the Swiss alpine zone
    Quantitative basic data on a geographical scheme of the florogenesis of the Central Asian high mountains and adjacent regions
    Cold spots in the highest mountains of the world - diversity patterns and gradients in the flora of the Karakorum
    Patterns of plant species diversity of the northeastern Tibetan plateau, Qinghai, China
    Factors influencing the spatial restriction of vascular plant species in the alpine archipelago of Australia
    Biodiversity of the subalpine forest/grassland ecotone of the Andringitra Massif, Madagascar
    Diversity in primary succession: the chronosequence of a glacier foreland
    Status and trends in diversity of alpine vertebrates in the northwestern United States
    Potential effects of climate change on alpine and nival plants in the Alps
    Variations in community structure and growth rates of high Andean plants with climatic fluctuations
    A scenario for mammal and bird diversity in the Snowy Mountains in relation to climate change
    Modeling and monitoring ecosystem responses to climate change in three North American mountain ranges
    Scenarios of plant diversity in South African mountain ranges to climate change
    Biodiversity in mountain medicinal plants and possible impacts of climatic change
    Land use and biodiversity in upland pastures in Ethiopia
    Balancing conservation of biodiversity and economic profit in the high Venezuelan Andes: Is fallow agriculture an alternative?
    Conserving mountain biodiversity in protected areas
    How effective is protected area management in mountains?
    National action plans for mountain biodiversity conservation and research
    A global assessment of mountain biodiversity synthesis

    Biography

    Christian Korner, Eva M. Spehn