Mountain Environments in Changing Climates

by Martin Beniston (Editor)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415102247
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/20/1994
Pages:	494
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.25(d)
Lexile:	1450L (what's this?)

About the Author

Martin Beniston

Table of Contents

I: Climate Change in Mountain Regions; 1: Past and Potential Future Changes in Mountain Environments; 2: The Alps under Local, Regional and Global Pressure; 3: Using Multiple High-Resolution Proxy Climate Records to Reconstruct Natural Climate Variability; 4: Climate in Europe During the Late Maunder Minimum Period (1675–1715); 5: Accelerated Glacier and Permafrost Changes in the Alps; 6: Monitoring Snow Cover Variations in the Alps Using the Alpine Snow Cover Analysis System (ASCAS); 7: Effects of Mesoscale Vegetation Distributions in Mountainous Terrain on Local Climate; 8: Climate Scenarios for Mountain Regions; II: Impacts of Climate Change on Vegetation; 9: Impact of Atmospheric Changes on High Mountain Vegetation; 10: Long-Term Vegetation Change in Mountain Environments; 11: Latitudinal Variation in the Potential Response of Mountain Ecosystems to Climatic Change; 12: Comparing the Behaviour of Mountainous Forest Succession Models in a Changing Climate; 13: Ecological Aspects of Climatically-Caused Timberline Fluctuations; 14: Recent Changes in the Growth and Establishment of Subalpine Conifers in Western North America; 15: Dynamics and Functioning of Rhododendron Ferrugineum Subalpine Heathlands (Northern Alps, France); 16: A Dendrochemical Perspective on the Effects of Climate Change in the Ozark Highlands; 17: Phenology as a Tool in Topoclimatology; 18: Design of an Intensive Monitoring System for Swiss Forests; III: Socio-Economic Aspects of Climate Change in Mountain Regions; 19: Climate Risk Concern in an Alpine Community; 20: Environmental Perception, Climate Change, and Tourism; 21: Climate Change and Winter Tourism; 22: Localizing the Threats of Climate Change in Mountain Environments; 23: Sensitivity of Mountain Runoff and Hydro-Electricity to Changing Climate; 24: Mountain Environments and Climate Change in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas; 25: Evaluating the Effects of Climatic Change on Marginal Agriculture in Upland Areas; 26: Toward a Global Network of Mountain Protected Areas; IV: Conclusion; 27: Should Mountain Communities Be Concerned about Climate Change?

Editorial Reviews

‘It is the stimulating discussion of issues, such as that makes this book highly readable. The standard of production is excellent, the maps and diagrams are clear and informative, and each chapter is well referenced. The book can be recommended not only to those interested in mountains but also to anyone concerned with environmental issues in general.' - Geoscientist

From the Publisher