Mountain Biodiversity Patterns at Low and High Latitudes

Ecology of Alpine Snowbeds and the Impact of Global Change

“…Snowbeds are a crucial component of the alpine biome as these habitats provide important ecosystem services to the landscape (Molau, 2004), such as maintaining and increasing the productivity of adjacent earlier-thawing ecosystems, by providing a steady water and nutrient supply (Billings and Bliss, 1959;Bowman, 1992). Furthermore, as the forage quality and availability decrease over the summer in the landscape (Fox, 1991), snowbeds can support large herbivores by offering newly emerged high-quality food late in the growing season (Skogland, 1984;Fox, 1991).…”

“…In winter, as snow cover increases in both density and compactness, the reindeer become restricted to the heath communities in the windswept ridges. Even though snowbeds comprise only 3-14% of the total vegetation cover (Skogland, 1984;Molau, 2004), they are the most consistently selected plant communities by reindeer during the snow-free season (Skogland, 1984;Edenius et al, 2003). When the snowmelt starts in spring, the reindeer follow the altitudinal melt-off gradient by selecting habitats with the highest level of green phytomass at the most favorable growth stage.…”

Análisis de la lluvia de polen en un fragmento de bosque subandino en Colombia

“…Los bosques Andinos son ecosistemas altamente diversos, incluso son considerados "hotspots", en los cuales existen patrones en la diversidad asociados a la altitud (Molau 2004). En este sentido, se ha propuesto que la diversidad disminuye con respecto a la altura, lo cual es notable en la vegetación de la Judía, donde la diversidad es mucho mayor en 1.500 msnm con respecto a 2.100, donde se observa una disminución.…”

Ecohydrology of the Andes Páramo Region

“…Lignin found in tussock roots increased with altitude (P < 0.001), while the same trend was observed for acaulescent rosettes and cushions. The high lignin concentration in the species located in the high catchment could explain the survival of certain species to such relatively hostile environment, filled with loose stones, sandy soil, low soil water-holding capacity and low nutrient content (Körner, 2003;Molau, 2004;Rada et al, 2001). Additionally, they have to cope with climatic conditions of low oxygen concentration, low rainfall, high solar radiation, strong wind abrasion and night frost (Baruch, 1984).…”