ABSTRACT

Home to large numbers of people, sources of water, centres of tourism, and sensitive ecological zones, mountain environments share distinctive climactic characteristics. Once regarded as economically non-viable regions, mountains now attract major investment as sites of tourism, hydro-power and communication routes. This book brings together some of the current work on the physical and human ecology of mountain environments, the impacts of climate change, the processes involved and their observation and prediction.

part I|122 pages

Climate Change in Mountain Regions

chapter 8|13 pages

Climate Scenarios for Mountain Regions

An overview of possible approaches

part II|119 pages

Impacts of Climate Change on Vegetation

chapter 10|11 pages

Long-Term Vegetation Change in Mountain Environments

Palaeoecological insights into modern vegetation dynamics

chapter 15|12 pages

Dynamics and Functioning of Rhododendron Ferrugineum Subalpine Heathlands (Northern Alps, France)

Mineral nitrogen availability in the context of global climate change

chapter 17|10 pages

Phenology as a Tool in Topoclimatology

A cross-section through the Swiss Jura Mountains

part III|102 pages

Socio-Economic Aspects of Climate Change in Mountain Regions

chapter 19|13 pages

Climate Risk Concern in an Alpine Community

On the social embeddedness of risk-perception

chapter 21|10 pages

Climate Change and Winter Tourism

Impact on transport companies in the Swiss canton of Graubünden

part IV|17 pages

Conclusion