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This is the first comprehensive and critical evaluation of the biome (large-scale, functional biotic communities) patterns in the Southern Hemisphere. Revising the Heinrich Walter's zonobiome system for the Southern Hemisphere appeared as necessary because of the bioclimatic imbalance between the Hemispheres. This revision resulted in formulation of a new zonobiome system, considering the geographic peculiarities of both Hemispheres, hence creating a new, powerful tool of global nature-resource survey and conservation. The system has a potential to attract the interest of the global climate modeling community as the concept of biome (and associated hierarchical system) has a strong functional focus. All zonal biomes of the Southern Hemisphere are featured, and the major challenges we face in understanding their origins, structure, and functioning are discussed. The book contains a wealth of original data resulting from collation of bioclimatic data and vegetation mapping.
1. Introduction
2. Southern tropical and subtropical rainforests
3. Multi-faced southern seasonal tropics
4. Southern mediterranean: an extratropical plant marvel
5. Dry face of the 'wet hemisphere': southern deserts and semideserts
6. Austral temperate forests: a biome-classification conundrum
7. Southern 'steppes' and other grassy oddballs
8. The biomes of the coldest corners of the World
9. Synthesis: A New Global Zonobiome System
10. Further Challenges and Research Agenda
References
Prof. Ladislav Mucina: My scientific interests span descriptive vegetation science (especially vegetation surveys, classification and mapping), biosystematics, molecular phylogeny, population ecology, evolutionary biology, biogeography, biodiversity science, environmental management, plant community restoration, and conservation biology. My major scientific contributions include the three-volume opus on vegetation survey of Austria, book describing vegetation and vegetation map of mega-diverse South Africa, and a syntaxonomic system for Europe. International Association for Vegetation Science is my scientific home and I have served the Association as Associate and Chief Editor of Journal of Vegetation Science and Applied Vegetation Science, Vice-President, Secretary-General, and as an evergreen member of the Advisory Council. In 2017 I was elected Honorary Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and in 2018 I was awarded the Honorary Membership ofthe IAVS. My teaching engagements so far include universities on four continents - Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. My publication list scores more than 430 papers and 28 books. At present I serve as the Iluka Chair at the Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, engaging in applied post-mining restoration research, evolutionary biology, and vegetation surveying methodology.
