High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World.

• Superior document: Advances in Global Change Research Series ; v.62
• Author: Catalan, Jordi.
• TeilnehmendeR: Ninot, Josep M.; Aniz, M. Mercè.
• Place / Publishing House: Cham : : Springer International Publishing AG,, 2017.; ©2017.
• Year of Publication: 2017
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Advances in Global Change Research Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (413 pages)

Table of Contents

Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- Contributors -- Current Challenges of High Mountain Conservation -- 1 The High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World -- Abstract -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.1.1 Conservation in a Changing World -- 1.1.2 Vulnerability, Exposure, and Sensitivity -- 1.2 Mountain Exposure to Global Changes -- 1.2.1 Climate Change -- 1.2.2 Atmospheric Contaminants -- 1.2.3 Long-Distance Atmospheric Fertilization -- 1.2.4 Biotic Dispersal Enhancement -- 1.3 Mountain Exposure to Regional Changes -- 1.3.1 Pasture Shifting Systems -- 1.3.2 Conservation Versus Extraction -- 1.3.3 Tourism and Sport Pressures -- 1.4 High Mountain Idiosyncratic Sensitivity -- 1.4.1 Temperature Versus Water -- 1.4.2 Persistence Versus Migration -- 1.4.3 Regional Fingerprints -- 1.5 Conservation Synergies and Challenges -- 1.5.1 Conservation Versus Stewardship (Franciscans Vs. Benedictines) -- 1.5.2 Loss of Uniqueness -- 1.5.3 Functional Versus Phylogenetic Conservation -- 1.5.4 Size Matters -- 1.5.5 Local Contribution to Global Ecological Services -- 1.5.6 Conservation Beyond Conservation -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 2 Trade-offs in High Mountain Conservation -- Abstract -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Distinctive Features of Conservation in High Mountain Ecosystems -- 2.3 Conservation, Vulnerability and Trade-offs -- 2.4 Conservation Management of Exposure and Sensitivity in High Mountains -- 2.5 Managing Conflicting Goals -- 2.6 Complex/Interacting Controls of Trade-offs -- 2.7 General Concluding Remarks -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Developing a Historical Perspective of the High Mountain Social-Ecological System -- 3 Molecular Biogeography of the High Mountain Systems of Europe: An Overview -- Abstract -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Different Genetic Lineages Within High Mountain Systems -- 3.3 Genetic Links Between High Mountain Systems.

3.4 Arctic-Alpine Disjunction -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 4 The Beginning of High Mountain Occupations in the Pyrenees. Human Settlements and Mobility from 18,000 cal BC to 2000 cal BC -- Abstract -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 The Start of Modern History: The Population of the Pyrenees in the Late Pleistocene and the First Half of the Holocene -- 4.2.1 Human Presence in the Valleys in the Late Pleistocene -- 4.2.2 Initial Occupation of the High Zones in the Early Holocene -- 4.3 The Arrival of the Neolithic: The Pyrenees as Farming Land -- 4.3.1 The First Neolithic Occupations in the Pyrenees -- 4.3.2 Approaching the Heights in the Late Neolithic -- 4.4 Conclusions -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 5 The Role of Environmental Geohistory in High-Mountain Landscape Conservation -- Abstract -- 5.1 Palaeoenvironment, Biodiversity and Protected Areas -- 5.1.1 Baseline and Range of Natural Variability -- 5.1.2 Thresholds and Ecological Resilience and Persistence -- 5.1.3 Why Environmental Geohistory and Not Only Environmental History? -- 5.2 Examples of Environmental Geohistory in the Pyrenees -- 5.2.1 The Baseline and Range of Natural Variability of Abies Alba Mill -- 5.2.2 Are Baseline and Range of Natural Variability Appropriate Concepts for Secondary Communities? -- 5.2.3 How Should Open Spaces Cleared for Human Activities Be Managed When They Have a Semi-natural Function? -- 5.2.4 From the Late Roman to the Medieval Age Was Born the Open Landscape: Threshold Forestry Without Turning Back? -- 5.2.5 Local Environments Appear to Have no Resilience! -- 5.3 Final Considerations -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 6 The Multiple Factors Explaining Decline in Mountain Forests: Historical Logging and Warming-Related Drought Stress is Causing Silver-Fir Dieback in the Aragón Pyrenees -- Abstract -- 6.1 Introduction.

6.1.1 Geographical and Climatic Backgrounds -- 6.1.2 Field Sampling -- 6.1.3 Tree-Ring Data -- 6.1.4 Climate-Growth Analyses -- 6.2 Warmer Climate Conditions and the 1980s Peak in Water Deficit -- 6.3 Structural Features of Silver-Fir Stands Presenting Dieback: Low Growth Rates -- 6.4 Growth Trends of Silver Fir Indicate that Dieback is Predisposed by Past Logging -- 6.5 Climate-Growth Associations: The Critical Role Played by Late-Summer Water Deficit -- 6.6 Lessons for Forest Use and Conservation -- References -- Emerging Values in Mountain Conservation -- 7 Towards a Microbial Conservation Perspective in High Mountain Lakes -- Abstract -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 A Biodiversity Unit for the Microbial World -- 7.3 A Natural History Perspective for Microorganisms in High Mountain Lakes -- 7.3.1 Bacteria -- 7.3.2 Archaea -- 7.3.3 Protists and Fungi -- 7.4 Towards a Microbial Conservation Perspective in High Mountain Lakes -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 8 Why Should We Preserve Fishless High Mountain Lakes? -- Abstract -- 8.1 Introduced Species, a Global Threat to Freshwater Ecosystems -- 8.2 The Process of Species Introductions in the Alps -- 8.3 The Process of Species Introductions in the Pyrenees -- 8.3.1 Trout Introductions -- 8.3.2 Collateral Introductions -- 8.4 Ecological Consequences -- 8.5 A Serious Problem for Conservation -- 8.6 Conservation and Restoration, What Has Been Done so Far? -- 8.6.1 Protection Measures -- 8.6.2 Restoration Projects: Techniques Used and Successful Cases -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 9 Are Soil Carbon Stocks in Mountain Grasslands Compromised by Land-Use Changes? -- Abstract -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Mountain Soils and Their C Stocks -- 9.3 Factors Controlling Soil Organic C Stocks in Mountain Grasslands -- 9.3.1 Bedrock Type -- 9.3.2 Climate -- 9.3.3 Plant Community Composition.

9.4 Effects of Land-Use and Management Changes on Soil C Dynamics and Stocks -- 9.4.1 Grazing Intensification -- 9.4.2 Grazing Abandonment -- 9.4.3 Soil C Stocks in Grazed and Ungrazed Mountain Grasslands -- 9.4.4 Effects of Shrub Encroachment on Soil C Dynamics and Stocks -- 9.4.4.1 Litter Inputs -- 9.4.4.2 Microclimate -- 9.4.4.3 Biochemical Quality and Microbial Activity -- 9.4.4.4 Soil C Stocks in Shrub-Encroached Grasslands -- 9.4.4.5 Shrubland Management and Soil C Stocks -- 9.5 Conclusions and Further Research Needs -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 10 The Importance of Reintroducing Large Carnivores: The Brown Bear in the Pyrenees -- Abstract -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 The Benefits of Large Predators -- 10.3 Impacts on Preys -- 10.4 Impact on Mesopredators -- 10.5 Others Impacts on Ecosystems -- 10.6 What Happens When Large Predators Disappear? -- 10.7 The Situation of the Brown Bear, Wolf and European Lynx in the Pyrenees -- 10.8 Problems Generated by the Presence of the Brown Bear and Wolf in Catalonia and the Pyrenees -- 10.9 Damage to Livestock and Beehives -- 10.10 Protective Measures Implemented in Catalonia -- 10.11 Encounters Between Humans and Large Carnivores -- 10.12 Potential Economic Benefits Generated by the Presence of Large Carnivores -- 10.12.1 Hunting Tourism -- 10.12.2 Nature Tourism -- 10.13 Do the Pyrenees Have Enough Room and the Right Habitats for Large Predators? -- 10.14 Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Global Change and High Mountain Conservation -- 11 Life-History Responses to the Altitudinal Gradient -- Abstract -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Environmental Variation in Elevation -- 11.2.1 Temperature -- 11.2.2 Atmospheric Pressure -- 11.2.3 Precipitation -- 11.2.4 Primary Productivity -- 11.2.5 Biotic Interactions -- 11.3 The Process of Life-History Evolution -- 11.3.1 Mechanisms.

11.3.2 Constraints -- 11.3.3 Drivers -- 11.4 Empirical Evidence in Animals -- 11.4.1 Insects and Other Arthropods -- 11.4.2 Fishes -- 11.4.3 Amphibians -- 11.4.4 Reptiles -- 11.4.5 Birds -- 11.4.6 Mammals -- 11.5 Empirical Evidence in Plants -- 11.5.1 Interspecific Variation -- 11.5.2 Intraspecific Variation -- 11.6 Discussion -- 11.6.1 Current Patterns -- 11.6.2 Evolutionary and Plastic Responses to Environmental Change -- 11.6.3 Demographic Responses to Environmental Change -- 11.6.4 Future Research -- References -- 12 Non-equilibrium in Alpine Plant Assemblages: Shifts in Europe's Summit Floras -- Abstract -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 Rapid Climate Change in Arctic and Alpine Areas -- 12.3 Re-surveys of Historical Vegetation Records on Summits -- 12.4 Extensive Monitoring of Recent Changes in Summit Plants -- 12.5 Global Change, Not Only Climate Change: Snow Versus Temperature, Impacts of Nutrients, CO2 Concentration, Land Use, Grazing -- 12.6 Alpine Plants on the Verge to Extinction or Safe in Cold Microhabitats? -- 12.7 From Knowledge to Action? Towards Conservation of High Mountain Flora -- References -- 13 Changes in Climate, Snow and Water Resources in the Spanish Pyrenees: Observations and Projections in a Warming Climate -- Abstract -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 Study Area -- 13.3 Data and Methods -- 13.4 Climate Evolution -- 13.5 Snow Observations -- 13.6 Streamflow Changes -- 13.7 Projections for a Warmer Climate -- 13.8 Conclusions -- References -- 14 Atmospheric Chemical Loadings in the High Mountain: Current Forcing and Legacy Pollution -- Abstract -- 14.1 Introduction -- 14.2 Surface Waters Acidification -- 14.3 Trace Elements Pollution -- 14.4 Effects of Airborne Nutrients on Ecosystems -- 14.5 Some Reflections on Conservation -- References.

15 Importance of Long-Term Studies to Conservation Practice: The Case of the Bearded Vulture in the Pyrenees.