Concluding remarks
Abstract Alpine environments are ‘cold’; however, in other aspects they encompass a large variability along three main axes: altitude, moisture, and seasonality (Fig. 11.1). There are many combinations possible in an environmental space that is bounded by these variables. Arctic alpine environments...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Book Part |
| Language: | unknown |
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Oxford University PressOxford
2009
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198567035.003.0011 https://academic.oup.com/book/chapter-pdf/52367469/isbn-9780198567035-book-part-11.pdf |
| Summary: | Abstract Alpine environments are ‘cold’; however, in other aspects they encompass a large variability along three main axes: altitude, moisture, and seasonality (Fig. 11.1). There are many combinations possible in an environmental space that is bounded by these variables. Arctic alpine environments have a high seasonality, low precipitation, and negligible air density impact (bottom back left-hand side of Fig. 11.1). At the opposite end of the spectrum, aseasonal tropical alpine environments have very little seasonality, medium to high precipitation, and a marked reduction in air density (top front right-hand in Fig. 11.1). Ordering mountain regions in this way highlights the variety of alpine environments world-wide. This virtual ordination space allows us to recount what we know about alpine environments, their habitats and biology. With regard to biodiversity, the effort in terms of coverage of alpine areas and organism groups has been uneven. On average, we have a reasonably good knowledge of the vascular plant flora of all the mountain regions (sometimes found in little known local literature). This knowledge can be in the form of very detailed accurate accounts in extensive mountain ranges where there is a long tradition of research. Few mountain range level accounts, if any match that in the Alps (Flora Alpina; Aeschimann et al. 2004), the existence of which allowed a recent systematic assessment of plant diversity patterns at the scale of the whole Alps range (INTRABIODIV). This is not the general pattern, however, and in most botanically well-known mountain ranges one has to piece the jigsaw together from country accounts (e.g. Scandinavia), or county-and state-level accounts (e.g. North American ranges). |
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