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Alpine Biodiversity in Europe pp 453–464Cite as

Alpine Biodiversity in Space and Time: A Synthesis

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Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 167))

Abstract

The area above the treeline in the European mountain ranges varies from ca. 1% (Corsica) to about 14% in the Caucasus (Table 29.1). The biota in the alpine zone across the different mountain systems is rather heterogeneous, as illustrated by a comparison of their alpine floras (Chap. 5). Mountain ranges such as the Alps and the Pyrenees, which are similar, contrast with ranges that have very little in common with the others (e.g. Sierra Nevada, the mountains of Crete). This heterogeneity is also evident when comparing treeline tree species in the different mountain systems (Table 29.2). An assessment of the climate in the alpine zone, based on soil temperatures at 10 cm below ground, indicated a mean growing season length of 155 (min. 105, max. 190) days year-1 across Europe (Chap. 2). Seasons tended to be slightly warmer in the south, particularly with regard to thermal sums (Chap. 2). However, no systematic differences in growing season length were observed across Europe, and absolute minima (mean -5 °C; range 0–15 °C) or maxima (mean +17 °C; range 12–19 °C) did not show any significant latitudinal trend, but depended on local snow cover and exposure.

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Authors
  1. L. Nagy
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  2. G. Grabherr
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  3. Ch. Körner
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  4. D. B. A. Thompson
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. McConnell Associates, 41 Eildon Street, Edinburgh, EH3 5JX, Scotland

    Laszlo Nagy

  2. Department of Vegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute for Ecology and Nature Conservation University of Vienna, Althanstr. 14, Vienna, 1091, Austria

    Georg Grabherr

  3. Institute of Botany, University of Basel, Schönbeinstr. 6, Basel, 4056, Switzerland

    Christian Körner

  4. Advisory Services, Scottish Natural Heritage, 2 Anderson Place, Edinburgh, EH6 5NP, Scotland

    Desmond B. A. Thompson

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© 2003 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Nagy, L., Grabherr, G., Körner, C., Thompson, D.B.A. (2003). Alpine Biodiversity in Space and Time: A Synthesis. In: Nagy, L., Grabherr, G., Körner, C., Thompson, D.B.A. (eds) Alpine Biodiversity in Europe. Ecological Studies, vol 167. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18967-8_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18967-8_29

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-62387-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-18967-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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