Mountain definitions and their consequences
Christian Körner, Davnah Urbach, Jens Paulsen
Abstract
Abstract Mountains are rugged structures in the landscape that are difficult to delineate. Given that they host an overproportional fraction of biodiversity of high ecological and conservational value, conventions on what is mountainous and what not are in need. This short communication aims at explaining the differences among various popular mountain definitions. Defining mountainous terrain is key for global assessments of plant species richness in mountains and their likely responses to climatic change, as well as for assessing the human population density in and around mountainous terrain.
Topics & Concepts
TerrainBiodiversitySpecies richnessEcologyGeographyApplied ecologyPopulationPlant ecologyEnvironmental resource managementPhysical geographyEnvironmental scienceBiologySociologyDemographySpecies Distribution and Climate ChangeTree-ring climate responsesEcology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies