Trees at their Upper Limit: Treelife Limitation at the Alpine Timberline / Edition 1

by Gerhard Wieser, Michael Tausz

Overview

Emerging from decades of intensive research into alpine timberlines, Trees at their Upper Limit presents a complete modern synthesis of current knowledge on the ecophysiology of tree growth and survival on high mountains in Europe.

Including chapters on soil properties and the role of mycorrhiza, carbon assimilation and allocation, phytopathogens, and the impact of global change on photooxidative stress, the book builds on Tranquillini’s landmark 1979 publication, Physiological Ecology of the Alpine Timberline. By combining new techniques and insights with existing core knowledge the authors explore a range of current hypotheses on tree life limitation to promote a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms determining the upper timberline.

Amid growing realization that high elevation forests have a crucial role to play in protection against natural hazards, this book represents a timely contribution to the current literature on timberline research. Drawing together more than 25 years of work, it sets a new standard on the ecophysiology of trees growing at the alpine timberline.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402050732
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	12/20/2006
Series:	Plant Ecophysiology , #5
Edition description:	2007
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.03(d)

Table of Contents

Current Concepts for Treelife Limitation at the Upper Timberline.- Climate at the Upper Timberline.- Soils - Heterogeneous at a Microscale.- Mycorrhiza in the Alpine Timberline Ecotone: Nutritional Implications.- Vegetation at the Upper Timberline.- Limitation by an Insufficient Carbon Assimilation and Allocation.- Limitation by Growth Processes.- Limits in Water Relations.- Phytopathogens at the Alpine Timberline.- Frost Resistance at the Upper Timberline.- Photo-Oxidative Stress at the Timberline.- Global Change at the Upper Timberline.- Synopsis.

Editorial Reviews

Aus den Rezensionen:

"Die Ursachen für die allmähliche Auflösung des Waldes mit zunehmender Höhe der Gebirge beschäftigt seit langem Geographen und Ökologen. … Im vorliegenden Band … fassen elf Autoren die neuesten Befunde zu diesem Problem zusammen. In den ersten fünf Kapiteln werden … Forschungskonzepte und grundlegende Eigenschaften für das Pflanzenleben an der Baumgrenze vorgestellt … Danach folgen detaillierte Darstellungen der Grenzfaktoren. … Das … Schlusskapitel fasst die wesentlichen Ergebnisse dieser gründlichen, mit zahlreichen Literaturnachweisen ausgestatteten Studie zusammen. … Das Werk ist einwandfrei hergestellt, die … Abbildungen sind gut verständliche Graphiken …" (Ernst Röhrig, in: Forstarchiv, 2007, Vol. 78, Issue 3, S. 103)

From the Publisher