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Mountain ecosystems belong to the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Especially, the treeline ecotone acts as an indicator for environmental change. However, ecological processes in the treeline ecotone are not yet completely understood. The studies provided in this book may contribute to a better understanding of the interactions between vegetation, climate, fauna, and soils in the treeline ecotone. An introductory chapter is given on plants living under extreme conditions, climate change aspects, and methods for characterization of alpine soils. The following articles focus on mountainous areas in America, Europe and Asia. The Working Group on Mountain and Northern Ecosystems at the Insti- te of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster (Germany), has been working on topics related to the treeline ecotone for several decades. This period under the chairmanship of Friedrich-Karl Holtmeier has come to an end now when he retired in 2004. He initiated numerous studies in high mountains and in the North. Many of his students, who became infected by the ‘mountain virus’, will continue these investigations on ecological processes in the altitudinal and northern treeline ecotones. With this compilation of studies in mountain ecosystems we want to thank Friedrich-Karl Holtmeier for his excellent guidance in these cold and fascinating environments.

Mountain ecology. --- Timberline. --- Alpine timberline --- Alpine treeline --- Latitudinal timberline --- Latitudinal treeline --- Timber-line --- Tree line --- Treeline --- Forest ecology --- Mountain ecology --- Vegetation boundaries --- Alpine ecology --- Alpine region ecology --- Alpine regions --- Mountains --- Upland ecology --- Ecology --- Geology. --- Ecology. --- Endangered ecosystems. --- Geography. --- Biogeosciences. --- Geoecology/Natural Processes. --- Ecosystems. --- Geography, general. --- Cosmography --- Earth sciences --- World history --- Threatened ecosystems --- Biotic communities --- Nature conservation --- Balance of nature --- Biology --- Bionomics --- Ecological processes --- Ecological science --- Ecological sciences --- Environment --- Environmental biology --- Oecology --- Environmental sciences --- Population biology --- Geognosy --- Geoscience --- Natural history --- Geobiology. --- Ecology . --- Geoecology. --- Environmental geology. --- Biocenoses --- Biocoenoses --- Biogeoecology --- Biological communities --- Biomes --- Biotic community ecology --- Communities, Biotic --- Community ecology, Biotic --- Ecological communities --- Ecosystems --- Natural communities --- Geoecology --- Environmental protection --- Physical geology --- Biosphere

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Alpine treelines mark the low-temperature limit of tree growth and occur in mountains world-wide. Presenting a companion to his book Alpine Plant Life, Christian Körner provides a global synthesis of the treeline phenomenon from sub-arctic to equatorial latitudes and a functional explanation based on the biology of trees. The comprehensive text approaches the subject in a multi-disciplinary way by exploring forest patterns at the edge of tree life, tree morphology, anatomy, climatology and, based on this, modelling treeline position, describing reproduction and population processes, development, phenology, evolutionary aspects, as well as summarizing evidence on the physiology of carbon, water and nutrient relations, and stress physiology. It closes with an account on treelines in the past (palaeo-ecology) and a section on global change effects on treelines, now and in the future. With more than 100 illustrations, many of them in colour, the book shows alpine treelines from around the globe and offers a wealth of scientific information in the form of diagrams and tables.  From the reviews of the companion book Alpine Plant Life by Christian Körner (2nd ed. 2003) ‘... well written with plenty of good quality photographs, graphs and diagrams. It hits a happy compromise in being accessible to novices in upland areas and/or plants but with sufficient depth to leave the reader feeling that they have got to grips with the topic. ... A superb textbook that should be read and used by all ecology students.’ Bulletin of the British Ecological Society, Vol. 35(1), 2004.

Forest ecology. --- Mountain ecology. --- Timberline. --- Botany --- Earth & Environmental Sciences --- Plant Ecology --- Alpine ecology --- Alpine region ecology --- Alpine regions --- Mountains --- Forests and forestry --- Alpine timberline --- Alpine treeline --- Latitudinal timberline --- Latitudinal treeline --- Timber-line --- Tree line --- Treeline --- Ecology --- Life sciences. --- Physical geography. --- Plant ecology. --- Forestry. --- Trees. --- Plant physiology. --- Geoecology. --- Environmental geology. --- Life Sciences. --- Plant Ecology. --- Plant Physiology. --- Tree Biology. --- Earth System Sciences. --- Geoecology/Natural Processes. --- Upland ecology --- Forest ecology --- Mountain ecology --- Vegetation boundaries --- Forests and forestry. --- Ecology. --- Balance of nature --- Biology --- Bionomics --- Ecological processes --- Ecological science --- Ecological sciences --- Environment --- Environmental biology --- Oecology --- Environmental sciences --- Population biology --- Forest land --- Forest lands --- Forest planting --- Forest production --- Forest sciences --- Forestation --- Forested lands --- Forestland --- Forestlands --- Forestry --- Forestry industry --- Forestry sciences --- Land, Forest --- Lands, Forest --- Silviculture --- Sylviculture --- Woodlands --- Woods (Forests) --- Agriculture --- Natural resources --- Afforestation --- Arboriculture --- Logging --- Timber --- Tree crops --- Trees --- Dendrology --- Nursery stock --- Woody plants --- Plants --- Physiology --- Phytoecology --- Vegetation ecology --- Geoecology --- Environmental protection --- Physical geology --- Geography --- Floristic ecology

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Concerns have been raised with respect to the state of high-altitude and high-latitude treelines, as they are anticipated to undergo considerable modifications due to global changes, and especially due to climate warming. As high-elevation treelines are temperature-limited vegetation boundaries, they are considered to be sensitive to climate warming. As a consequence, in this future, warmer environment, an upward migration of treelines is expected because low air and root-zone temperatures constrain their regeneration and growth. Despite the ubiquity of climate warming, treeline advancement is not a worldwide phenomenon: some treelines have been advancing rapidly, others have responded sluggishly or have remained stable. This variation in responses is attributed to the potential interaction of a continuum of site-related factors that may lead to the occurrence of locally conditioned temperature patterns. Competition amongst species and below-ground resources have been suggested as additional factors explaining the variability in the movement of treelines. This Special Issue (book) is dedicated to the discussion of treeline responses to changing environmental conditions in different areas around the globe.

n/a --- tree seedling recruitment --- shrubline --- light quality --- higher altitude --- precipitation --- experimental rain exclusion --- Pinus cembra --- Changbai Mountain --- treeline dynamics --- fungal ecology --- thermal continentality --- tree regeneration --- elevational transect --- monitoring --- conifer shrub --- plant water availability --- permafrost --- foehn winds --- treeline --- Holocene --- nitrogen cycling --- carotenoids --- timberline --- 15N natural abundance --- spectrometer --- basal area increment --- palynology --- xylem embolism --- diversity --- elevational treeline --- European Alps --- temperature --- tree line --- winter stress --- photosynthetic pigments --- Pinus sibirica --- westerly winds --- relative air humidity --- ecosystem manipulation --- Larix decidua --- microsite --- polar treeline --- Central Austrian Alps --- Switzerland --- multi-stemmed growth form --- conifers --- forest edge --- history of treeline research --- soil drought --- dendroclimatology --- knowledge engineering --- Rocky Mountains --- apical control --- cloud --- postglacial --- alpine timberline --- space-for-time substitution --- climate change --- expert elicitation --- shoot elongation --- pit aspiration --- climate warming --- climate zone --- alpine treeline --- refilling --- Abies sibirica --- growth trend --- western Montana --- light quantity --- Picea abies --- Mediterranean climate --- forest climatology --- altitude --- environmental stress --- sub-Antarctic --- Erman’s birch --- photoinhibition --- tocopherol --- elevational gradients --- NDVI --- long-term trends --- sap flow --- peat --- tree seedlings --- Southern Ocean --- chlorophyll --- non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) --- drought --- upward advance --- remote sensing data --- Erman's birch