United States
£ GBP
Alpine Ecosystems in the Northwest Caucasus represents results of 20 years' worth of ecological investigation of alpine ecosystems in the Northwest Caucasus. Plant geographical description of the area, syntaxonomy, spatial patterns, floristic richness, structure of plant communities in relation to soil properties and herbivore influence were described for a mountain region that is difficult to access. Seasonal, inter-annual, and long-term dynamics of vegetation are discussed on the base of long-term observations as well as pollen and phytolith analyses.
- Contributors
- Acknowledgement
- Preface
- Geography, Geology, Climate and the Communities Studied
- Soils and Nutrient Turnover
- Plant Geographical Description of the Area
- Alpine Plant Communities: Syntaxonomy, Floristic Composition and Richness
- Structure and Dynamics of Closed Alpine Communities
- Population Biology of Alpine Plants
- Experimental Study of Plant Relationships
- Soil Algae and Cyanobacteria in the Alpine Plant Communities
- Fungi, Mycorrhiza, and Microbiological Processes in the Alpine Ecosystems
- Animals and their Influence on Plant Communities
- Human Activity and Nature Conservation Problems
- References
- Species Index
"This volume contains the main results of 20 years of fieldwork in the northwest Caucasus. [...] it can serve as a solid basis for further research and monitoring in alpine environments [...] . The book combines a comprehensive overview with the results of in-depth research. [...] the volume may be recommended for all interested in the Caucasus and in high mountain ecology in general, as it presents a rich diversity of scientific approaches to the study of relevant topics."
- Jorg Stadelbauer, Mountain Research and Development, Vol. 25 (3), 2005
