Academic literature on the topic 'Montane grasslands'
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Journal articles on the topic "Montane grasslands"
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Valkó, Orsolya, Rocco Labadessa, and Stephen Venn. "Conservation, restoration and biodiversity of Palaearctic grasslands – Editorial to the 6th EDGG special issue in Hacquetia." Hacquetia 20, no. 1 (March 1, 2021): 167–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/hacq-2021-0008.
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Abstract This special issue is a collection of articles about the conservation, restoration and biodiversity of Palaearctic grasslands and was initiated by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group at the 15th Eurasian Dry Grassland Conference (EDGC), held at Graz, Austria in 2019. The papers in this special issue cover a range of grassland habitats from montane dry grasslands to lowland sandy grasslands, feathergrass steppes and meadow steppes, and focus on the biodiversity values, conservation issues and restoration prospects of Palaearctic grasslands. We hope that the articles in this special issue will contribute to a better understanding of the ecology of grasslands and support their more effective conservation.
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Ibañez, M., N. Altimir, A. Ribas, W. Eugster, and M. T. Sebastià. "Phenology and plant functional type dominance drive CO2 exchange in seminatural grasslands in the Pyrenees." Journal of Agricultural Science 158, no. 1-2 (March 2020): 3–14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021859620000179.
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AbstractUnderstanding the mechanisms underlying net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) in mountain grasslands is important to quantify their relevance in the global carbon budget. However, complex interactions between environmental variables and vegetation on NEE remain unclear; and there is a lack of empirical data, especially from the high elevations and the Mediterranean region. A chamber-based survey of CO2 exchange measurements was carried out in two climatically contrasted grasslands (montane v. subalpine) of the Pyrenees; assessing the relative contribution of phenology and environmental variables on CO2 exchange at the seasonal scale, and the influence of plant functional type dominance (grasses, forbs and legumes) on the NEE light response. Results show that phenology plays a crucial role as a CO2 exchange driver, suggesting a differential behaviour of the vegetation community depending on the environment. The subalpine grassland had a more delayed phenology compared to the montane, being more temperature than water constrained. However, temperature increased net CO2 uptake at a higher rate in the subalpine than in the montane grassland. During the peak biomass, productivity (+74%) and net CO2 uptake (NEE +48%) were higher in the subalpine grassland than in the montane grassland. The delayed phenology at the subalpine grassland reduced vegetation's sensitivity to summer dryness, and CO2 exchange fluxes were less constrained by low soil water content. The NEE light response suggested that legume dominated plots had higher net CO2 uptake per unit of biomass than grasses. Detailed information on phenology and vegetation composition is essential to understand elevation and climatic differences in CO2 exchange.
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Scheer, Maurício Bergamini, and Alan Yukio Mocochinski. "Upper montane grassland structure within six subranges of Serra do Mar, Southern Brazil." Hoehnea 43, no. 3 (September 2016): 401–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/2236-8906-90/2015.
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ABSTRACT The phytosociological structure of upper montane grasslands (high altitude grasslands) was studied in six subranges of Serra do Mar. Throughout 324 (1 m2) plot samples, we identified 195 taxa out of 280 taxa previously found in a floristic survey. Besides the general analysis of these communities, five physiognomies (synusiae) of these grasslands were previously determined based upon the species with greater cover. Cryptangium triquetrum and Croton mullerianus had the highest phytosociological importance value among the upper montane grasslands sampled in the present study. The first species was the most important of the grassy physiognomy of all sampled subranges and the second one of the shrubby physiognomy within three subranges. Chusquea pinifolia, Machaerina austrobrasiliensis, Deschampsia caespitosa, Gleichenella pectitata, Tibouchina dubia, Xyris stenophylla, Eryngium koehnearum and Eriochrysis holcoides were also structurally important. Although considerable species richness has been observed, the dominance of one or few species in the community was common in all subranges and physiognomies. In a brief comparison with upper montane vegetation studies (mainly on rocky outcrops) carried out in Southeastern Brazil, a low sharing of species was verified. Furthermore, the scarcity of studies in the literature regarding floristic and sociological structure of upper montane grasslands hampers a deeper analysis at level of species.
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Zistl-Schlingmann, Marcus, Steve Kwatcho Kengdo, Ralf Kiese, and Michael Dannenmann. "Management Intensity Controls Nitrogen-Use-Efficiency and Flows in Grasslands—A 15N Tracing Experiment." Agronomy 10, no. 4 (April 23, 2020): 606. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10040606.
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The consequences of land use intensification and climate warming on productivity, fates of fertilizer nitrogen (N) and the overall soil N balance of montane grasslands remain poorly understood. Here, we report findings of a 15N slurry-tracing experiment on large grassland plant–soil lysimeters exposed to different management intensities (extensive vs. intensive) and climates (control; translocation: +2 °C, reduced precipitation). Surface-applied cattle slurry was enriched with both 15NH4+ and 15N-urea in order to trace its fate in the plant–soil system. Recovery of 15N tracer in plants was low (7–17%), while it was considerably higher in the soil N pool (32–42%), indicating N stabilization in soil organic nitrogen (SON). Total 15N recovery was only 49% ± 7% indicating substantial fertilizer N losses to the environment. With harvest N exports exceeding N fertilization rates, the N balance was negative for all climate and management treatments. Intensive management had an increased deficit relative to extensive management. In contrast, simulated climate change had no significant effects on the grassland N balance. These results suggest a risk of soil N mining in montane grasslands under land use intensification based on broadcast liquid slurry application.
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Butler, Don William, Russell James Fairfax, and Roderick John Fensham. "Impacts of tree invasion on floristic composition of subtropical grasslands on the Bunya Mountains, Australia." Australian Journal of Botany 54, no. 3 (2006): 261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt05070.
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The effect of ongoing forest invasion on floristic composition of subtropical montane grasslands was considered by examining vascular plant species frequencies across 13 adjoining areas of grassland, invaded grassland (eucalypt forest <50 years old) and eucalypt forest (>50 years old) on the Bunya Mountains in subtropical eastern Australia. Tree invasion of grasslands over the last 50 years has had substantial facilitative or antagonistic net impacts on populations of many plant species. Increases in species frequency, indicating net facilitation, generally appear to occur earlier in forest development than do decreases in frequency, indicative of net antagonism. Although more than 20% of the flora showed substantial association with either grassland or forest, the dominant ground-stratum species in each habitat were quite similar and very few grassland species were not recorded in grassy forests. Forb species composition appears to change more rapidly after tree invasion than grass species composition. Relatively few forbs preferred forest to grassland, whereas shrubs, trees or lianes were substantially more frequent in forests. Replacement of grasslands by grassy forests would reduce landscape diversity and impact on other values in the Bunya Mountains. However, this study suggests that most, if not all, vascular plants that currently occur on the grasslands will persist in the area provided the grassy character of the eucalypt forests is maintained.
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Seddon, Julian, Mark Bourne, Danielle Murphy, Stuart Doyle, and Sue Briggs. "Assessing vegetation condition in temperate montane grasslands." Ecological Management & Restoration 12, no. 2 (July 24, 2011): 141–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2011.00584.x.
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Scheer, M. B., G. R. Curcio, and C. V. Roderjan. "Carbon and Water in Upper Montane Soils and Their Influences on Vegetation in Southern Brazil." ISRN Soil Science 2013 (February 24, 2013): 1–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/348905.
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Considering the many environmental functions of the upper montane soils, the aims of this study were (1) to verify if the soils of upper montane forests and grasslands of Caratuva Peak (1850 m a.s.l.) have similar characteristics to those found in other highlands in southern and southeastern Brazil; (2) to reinforce the geomorphological and pedological factors that impose the establishment of each type of vegetation in these highlands; and (3) to estimate potential soil carbon stocks and potential soil water retention. Folic and haplic histosols were found in the grasslands, and dystrophic regosols were found in the forests. The soils were dystrophic, extremely acidic, and saturated with Al and total organic carbon. In contrast to the grasslands, the upper montane forests were prevalent in valleys and subjected to morphogenetic processes resulting in soils that contained thicker mineral horizons. The grasslands occupied ridges and divergent convex ramps, and the pedogenetic processes in these regions promoted thicker histic horizons. The potential water retention capacities were high and strongly related to the high porosities of histic horizons associated with the gleyic horizons. In particularly, the carbon stocks were two- to three-fold higher than those found in soil ecosystems from the same latitude but lower altitude.
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Kean, J. M. "Potential distribution of hawthorn in New Zealand." New Zealand Plant Protection 62 (August 1, 2009): 387–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.30843/nzpp.2009.62.4880.
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Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) a birddispersed introduced shrub is becoming increasingly weedy in parts of New Zealand North America Australia and elsewhere In order to identify areas threatened by this species an ecoclimatic model for its potential global distribution was constructed using CLIMEX software The model was based on the native range of hawthorn in Europe and validated against the invaded range elsewhere in the world It suggests that hawthorn could potentially invade most lowland and montane areas of New Zealand In lowland areas invasion is likely to be limited by grazing pressure but changes in the management of South Island montane grasslands as a result of the current tenure review process may favour hawthorn invasion in some areas Preemptive action to identify and remove infestations from montane grasslands is recommended
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Longhi-Wagner, Hilda Maria, Cassiano Aimberê Dorneles Welker, and Jorge Luiz Waechter. "Floristic affinities in montane grasslands in eastern Brazil." Systematics and Biodiversity 10, no. 4 (December 1, 2012): 537–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2012.753487.
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Zhang, F., J. Qi, F. M. Li, C. S. Li, and C. B. Li. "Quantifying nitrous oxide emissions from Chinese grasslands with a process-based model." Biogeosciences Discussions 7, no. 2 (March 5, 2010): 1675–706. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-7-1675-2010.
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Abstract. As one of the largest land cover types, grassland can potentially play an important role in the ecosystem services of natural resources in China. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a major greenhouse gas emitted from grasslands. Current N2O inventory at regional or national level in China relies on the emission factor method, and is based on limited measurements. To improve inventory accuracy and capture the spatial variability of the N2O emissions under the diverse climate, soil and management conditions across China, we adopted an approach that uses a process-based biogeochemical model, DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) in this study, to map the N2O emissions from China's grasslands. The DNDC was linked to a GIS database of spatially distributed information of climate, soil, vegetation and management at county-level for all grasslands in China. Daily weather data from 2000–2007 based on the national network of 670 meteorological stations were utilized in the model simulations. The results were validated against observations from several grasslands in China and from other countries. The modelled results showed a clear geographic pattern of N2O emissions from China's grasslands. A high-emission strip was found that stretched from northeast to central China, along the eastern boundary of the temperate grassland region adjacent to the major agricultural regions. The grasslands in the western mountain regions, however, emitted much less N2O. The regional average of N2O emission rates was 0.23, 0.11 and 0.39 kg N ha−1y−1 for the temperate, montane and tropical/subtropical grasslands, respectively. The national N2O emission was 76.5 Gg N from the 337 million ha of grasslands in China. The modelled results were in good agreement with observations (R2=0.64 for 11 datasets), suggesting that the process-based model can be used to capture the spatial dynamics of N2O emissions as an effective alternative to statistical method currently used in China.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic "Montane grasslands"
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Crous, Casparus Johannes. "The mesofilter concept and biodiversity conservation in Afro-montane grasslands." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/79892.
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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Conservation planners use many traditional biodiversity conservation tools to help alleviate the global biodiversity crisis. However, ongoing biodiversity loss has stimulated the development of new and improved methods for conserving biodiversity. One such new conservation tool is the mesofilter approach. Mesofilters are biotic or abiotic ecosystem elements which are critical to the well-being of many species, and therefore could help to explain spatial heterogeneity in species across a landscape. It is also complementary to more traditionally used concepts such as coarse- and fine-filter conservation concepts. Applying the mesofilter approach in protected area, conservancy, or land-sparing design and management, could optimise biodiversity conservation in a rapidly developing world. For example, the timber industry has been pro-active in its approach to lessen biodiversity loss, by optimising design and management of the plantation matrix through ecological networks. Here, I explore the use of mesofilters within highly threatened remnant Afro-montane grasslands in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, to optimise biodiversity conservation planning for such landscapes. As per anecdotal evidence, I used rockiness in the landscape as a possible driver of species richness and species assemblage variability at the meso-scale, using a multi-taxon and multi-trophic approach. In this montane landscape, I also examined the effect of elevation on spatial heterogeneity of taxa. I further examined the functional responses of taxa to rockiness in the landscape. Rockiness in the landscape significantly influenced the species richness and assemblage structure of three key grassland taxa: flora, butterflies, and grasshoppers. I showed that for plants, this response was due to growth forms such as geophytes and perennial grasses that were more closely associated with rockiness, and therefore the main contributors to observed differences in the dispersion patterns of flora. Grasshoppers were not necessarily responding to higher rock exposure per se, but rather towards the environmental conditions created by rockiness within the landscape, such as lower vegetation density. For butterflies, certain behavioural traits, such as resting, territorial behaviour and/or mate-locating behaviour, were more typical in areas of higher rock exposure. This suggested that rocks are a definite habitat resource to certain butterflies. Overall, this finding where an abiotic surrogate is representative of key taxa in an ecosystem is interesting, as cross-taxon surrogacy has been shown to be stronger than surrogates based on environmental data. Furthermore, taxa responded functionally to rockiness in the landscape. This thesis therefore supports the idea that environmental surrogates are indeed useful for biodiversity conservation planning. Furthermore, ecosystems can potentially have many attributes or features that would be of conservation interest, and delineating a set of mesofilters is a useful way of expressing particular attributes to be used in wildlife conservation evaluation. The concept of the mesofilter as a practical biodiversity conservation tool is therefore validated here. I also argue the importance of habitat heterogeneity for biodiversity conservation planning in this montane grassland landscape. The potential for optimising the design of landscape configurations such as ecological networks, through information obtained from the mesofilter, is emphasised. We can safely add another tool in the biodiversity conservation toolbox of this Afro-montane grassland ecosystem.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bewaringbeplanners gebruik tans baie tradisionele biodiversiteit-bewarings metodes om die huidige biodiversiteits krisis te help verlig. Tog, die huidige voortdurende verliese in biodiversiteit wêreldwyd, vra na nuwer en verbeterde metodes van biodiversiteit-bewaring. Een so ‘n nuwe bewaring metode, is die mesofilter. Mesofilters is biotiese of abiotiese ekosisteem elemente wat kritiek is tot die welstand van spesies, en daarom veral waardevol is om variasie in spesies verspreiding in ‘n landskap te help verduidelik. Daarby is die mesofilter konsep ook komplementêr tot meer tradisioneel gebruike bewaringskonsepte, soos fyn-filter en breë-filter konsepte. Deur die mesofilter benadering toe te pas in die ontwerp en bestuur van beskermde areas, bewaareas, of land-spaar initiatiewe, kan ons biodiversiteitbewaring in ‘n vining ontwikkelende wêreld optimaliseer. Byvoorbeeld, die bosbou industrie is pro-aktief in hul benadering om biodiversiteit verliese te verminder, deur optimalisering van die ontwerp en bestuur van ekologiese netwerke in die plantasiematriks. In hierdie tesis, ondersoek ek die gebruik van mesofilters in hoogs bedreigde oorblyfels Afrikaberg grasvelde in KwaZulu-Natal, Suid-Afrika, om die bewaringsbeplanning van dié gebiede te optimaliseer. Vanaf anekdotiese bewyse, het ek spesifiek gebruik gemaak van klipperigheid in die landskap as ‘n moontlike drywer van spesies-rykheid en spesies-samestelling variasie by ‘n meso-skaal, deur ‘n multi-takson en multi-trofiese benadering. In hierdie berglandskap, het ek ook die effek van hoogte bo seevlak op ruimtelike verspreiding van taksa bestudeer. Verder het ek ook gekyk na die funksionele reaksie van taksa tot klipperigheid in die landskap. Klipperigheid in die landskap het ‘n beduidende invloed gehad op spesies-rykheid en spesiessamestelling van drie sleutel grasveld taksa: plante, skoenlappers, en springkane. Ek wys dat vir plante, hierdie reaksie as gevolg was van spesifieke plantgroeivorme, soos bolplante en meerjarige grasse, se noue verband met klipperigheid, en daarom, dat hierdie groepe die hoof bydraers is tot gesiene variasie in plantspesies verspreiding in die landskap. Vir springkane, was hierdie reaksie nie noodwendig omdat hulle die klippe self gebruik het nie, maar meer as gevolg van die omgewingskondisies geskep deur verhoogde klipperigheid in die landskap, soos laer plantegroei digtheid. Vir skoenlappers, was hierdie reaksie tot klippe as gevolg van sekere gedragskaraktereienskappe, soos rus op klippe, gebied beskerming en/of paarmaat soektog, wat tipies meer gesien was in klipperige omgewings. Dit dui daarop dat klippe ‘n definitiewe habitat hulpbron is vir sekere skoenlappers. Oor die algemeen is hierdie bevinding, waar abiotiese surrogate verteenwoordig is van drie sleutel taksa in ‘n ekosisteem, baie interessant, siende dat tussen-takson surrogate soms gesien word as sterker as surrogate gebaseer op omgewingsdata. Verder, taksa het funksioneel gereageer teenoor die klippe in die landskap. Hierdie tesis ondersteun dus die idee dat omgewingssurrogate wel nuttig is vir biodiversiteit-bewaring beplanning. Ekosisteme mag vele potensiele elemente van bewarings belang bevat, maar om sulke elemente as ‘n stel mesofilters te klassifiseer, is ‘n nuttige manier om spesifieke elemente te gebruik in natuurbewarings evaluasie initiatiewe. Gevolglik word die konsep van die mesofilter as ‘n praktiese biodiversiteit-bewaring gereedskapstuk hier bevestig. Ek beredeneer ook die belangrikheid van habitat heterogeniteit vir biodiversiteit-bewaring van hierdie berggrasveld landskap. Die potensiaal vir optimalisering van ontwerp en bestuur van landskap konfigurasies, soos ekologiese netwerke, word beklemtoon. Ons kan met veiligheid nog ‘n gereedskapstuk plaas in die biodiversiteitbewarings gereedskapkis van hierdie Afrikaberg grasveld ekosisteem.
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Sayuti, Zulhazmi. "Montane South African grasslands as a new planting design form in urban greenspace." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2013. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/4557/.
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The aims of this study were to develop communities of South African montane grassland species as a new planting design form in urban parks and green spaces. The uniqueness on the canopy texture and structure additionally the attractiveness produced from colorful flowers, from spring, summer and autumn potentially give strong design impact. To develop the community for use in urban greenspace three series of experiment were conducted to investigate time of sowing, growth performance, winter hardiness, competition in communities and appearance. Most of the species show good emergence and growth performance when sowing seeds directly in the field between March and May. Pre-germination treatments did speed up germination post sowing in the field but do not result in a significant increase of emergence percentage compared sown directly. Studies on species hardiness during extreme cold winter in 2010/2011 on different types and depth of media (sand 70 mm, sand 140 mm and soil 70 mm) found that increase in depth of mulch decrease the survival of the species on sand. Increased seedling mortality was due to lower root zone temperatures in the deeper sand with ambient temperatures as low as -8.7 °C. Most of the species sown in soil shows a better survival than sown in sand. Greater soil wetness in soil was less hostile to overwintering survival than was the lower temperatures associated with the sand treatments. Evergreen species such as Dierama robustum, Berkheya multijuga, and Senecio macrospermus overwintered well and Gladiolus saundersii is one of the hardiest species in this experiment. In the competition experiment, forbs species were the most productive in producing biomass and % cover in every community. Berkheya purpurea is a highly productive species and dominant in the first and second year of this study and greatly affected the production of biomass and canopy coverage in the communities it was present in. The communities with forbs species in combination produced 50% cover faster approximately 50 days after spring cutting in the second year. The geophytes species had much less influence on the biomass and % cover in the community, at least in the first two years. Even though Kniphofia uvaria also able to produce high biomass but does not greatly increases % cover due to the canopy structure being more open. However, the combination of species with different canopy layers is a very effective spatial arrangement for naturalistic design. High germination percentage as well as good growth in the first and second years of study showed that most species are able to survive and flower well in the UK. Most of forbs from low canopy species flower early in the season on the first and second years while geophytes species with slow growth, medium and tall canopy flowering from mid-season until a late season. Based on the results of these studies it appears that South African montane grassland have good potential to be used as a new planting design in UK urban greenspace
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Dewar, Jacqueline Joy. "Fire History of Montane Grasslands and Ecotones of the Valles Caldera, New Mexico, USA." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/216950.
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We reconstructed historical fire regimes of montane forest-grassland ecotones in the ~40,000 ha Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico. We used a targeted approach to sample ancient fire-scarred trees along the ecotone, and compared variations in historical fire occurrence within and among valles in the grassland-forest. The resulting tree-ring record extends from 1240-2008 C.E., comprised of 2,443 fire scars from 330 trees representing 238 fire years during the period of analysis, 1601-1902 C.E. Our results confirm pre-1900 historical occurrence of high-frequency, low-severity surface fires over multiple centuries in the ecotone. Mean fire intervals for all fires were 5.5-22.5 years (~6-123 ha) at individual sites, 2.7-10 years (~67-4955 ha) in individual valles, and 1.6 years (~10 386 ha) across the landscape. Synchronous fires burned extensively and occurred at ~10 year intervals during years with significantly low PDSI. Results will be useful in planning forest/grassland restoration actions and reinstituting fire regimes.
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Stein, Claudia. "Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: regional and local determinants of plant diversity in montane grasslands /." Leipzig : UFZ, 2008. http://www.ufz.de/data/ufzdiss_11_2008_9590.pdf.
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Harrower, William Laughton. "Changes in trophic structure along a gradient of water availability in temperate montane grasslands." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/60600.
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Predators and plants are inextricably linked by the flow of energy in ecosystems. However, we still lack good descriptions of how predators affect the diversity, function, and stability of ecosystems under different environmental conditions. If water availability to plants modifies the interactions between predators and plants, and changes in these species interactions lead to a modification of trophic structure, then the direction and strength of trophic cascades must depend on the availability of water to plants. I use the unifying concept of the trophic cascade and an underlying gradient of water availability to investigate how species interactions in a montane grassland influence the diversity and function of these ecosystems. Firstly, I examine the distribution, abundance, and community composition of grassland songbirds. I show that as water becomes more abundant, the number of species increases more slowly than the number of songbird individuals. Second, I manipulate the presence of vertebrate predators along the gradient. I found that changes in the abundance of both songbirds, small mammals and their prey alters feeding behavior and restructures communities. These changes in intraguild predation work in conjunction with the metabolic demands of consumers to determine trophic structure and alter the strength of the trophic cascade in response to water availability. Finally, I show that predators mediate apparent competition between herbivore and detritivore food chains. In the montane grassland I studied, an apparent trophic cascade becomes established as detritus food chains emerge with increasing water availability. I show that the reversal of trophic control typical of ecosystems with allochthonous external subsidies does not occur with autochthonous detritus subsidies in my system. The direction of trophic control in the grazing food chain remains bottom-up, but the detritus food chain is instead controlled by generalist predators. These interactions between predators and plants regulate the diversity of plants and arthropod functional groups, and affect ecosystem functions such as plant biomass production and decomposition. My results show that as water availability to plants increases in semi-arid and temperate grasslands, food webs become shorter, broader, more reticulate, and are more resistant to the effect of species losses and drought.Science, Faculty of
Botany, Department of
Graduate
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Srinivasan, Madhusudan P. "THE ECOLOGY OF DISTURBANCES AND GLOBAL CHANGE IN THE MONTANE GRASSLANDS OF THE NILGIRIS, SOUTH INDIA." UKnowledge, 2011. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_diss/213.
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Biodiversity rich regions worldwide face threats from various global change agents. This research quantifies environmental influences on vegetation, and the impacts of exotic woody plant invasion and anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition in a global biodiversity hotspot. The study was conducted in the montane grasslands of the Nilgiris, Western Ghats, and outlines potential management options for this region. Specifically, I examined (1) the role of environmental factors in influencing native plant distribution and ecosystem properties, (2) the status and impact of exotic shrub (Scotch broom, henceforth broom) invasion, (3) the role of disturbances in the success of broom, (4) the role of fire in restoring invaded grasslands, and (5) the impacts of terrestrial N loading on the grassland ecosystem. I used experiments and surveys to assess these. Distributions of several key species were explained by a few complex environmental gradients. In invaded-grasslands, broom populations consisted mainly of intermediate size and age classes, with no clear indication of population decline. Invasion negatively impacted plant community structure and drastically changed composition, favoring shade-tolerant and weedy species. However, invasion did not greatly alter ecosystem function. Fire successfully eliminated mature broom stands, but resulted in a short-term increase in broom seedling recruitment. At the end of 18 months, the fire effects on uninvaded-grasslands were not apparent, but there was no conclusive evidence of the formerly invaded patches attaining the composition of uninvaded-grasslands following burning. N fertilization strongly influenced soil N dynamics, and shoot N concentrations, but effects on aboveground production were weak. Surprisingly, N enrichment had positive effects on diversity in the short-term. It is clear that these grasslands need immediate management intervention to forestall degradation from invasion. Fire could be used to eliminate mature broom stands and deplete persistent seedbanks, which will facilitate colonization by shade-intolerant grassland plants. Active restoration should be mindful of environmental preferences of framework species. Long-term studies of the impacts of N deposition in the context of disturbances will help determine realistic critical thresholds and utilize disturbances to buffer the potential adverse effects of increasing N loading.
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Schlingmann, Marcus [Verfasser], Michael [Akademischer Betreuer] Dannenmann, and Heinz [Akademischer Betreuer] Rennenberg. "Effects of climate change and management on biogeochemical N turnover, slurry N use efficiency and associated pedosphere-atmosphere-hydrosphere exchange of N compounds in montane grasslands." Freiburg : Universität, 2020. http://d-nb.info/1215499183/34.
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Holland, John Peter. "Plant herbivore interactions within a complex mosaic of grassland, mire and montane communities." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.342041.
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Owings, Glenn Curtiss. "Patterns of gray rubber rabbitbrush occurrence in burned sagebrush-grasslands, Missouri River Breaks, Montana." Thesis, Montana State University, 2012. http://etd.lib.montana.edu/etd/2012/owings/OwingsG0512.pdf.
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Sagebrush-grasslands represent a large portion of the plant communities within the arid plains of the western United States. Grasses, forbs, and shrubs exist as subdominants to sagebrush that vary in density according to disturbances such as fire, wind, and defoliation. Fire is an important modifier of succession in sagebrush-grasslands, and shrub response to fire may be altered by browsing. The fire response of gray rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus (Pallas ex Pursh) Nesom & Baird ssp. nauseosus) has not been well documented. Furthermore, it is heavily browsed in central and northeastern Montana and is an important winter forage for ungulates. This study investigated how it responds to fire and browsing. Fifteen sites (9 burned and 6 adjacent non-burned) in the Missouri River Breaks, Montana were analyzed to investigate relationships between shrub density, time since fire, shrub age, and browsing level (n=15). Density was counted in one 625m ² macroplot per site. Gray rubber rabbitbrush age (seedling, juvenile, mature) was estimated using basal stem diameter. A qualitative browsing level was assigned based on growth form characteristics (low, moderate, high). Time since fire was not significantly correlated with differences in gray rubber rabbitbrush (P=0.701, R-sq=0.00%) or sagebrush (P=0.391, R-sq=0.00%) density as a percentage of the shrub community (n=9). As a percentage of the shrub community, big sagebrush density at a site was a good indicator of gray rubber rabbitbrush density (n=15, P<.001, R-sq=68.45). Rabbitbrush decreases within the shrub community as sagebrush dominance increases. Gray rubber rabbitbrush composed a higher percentage of the shrub community in burned than non-burned sites (n=6, P=0.005). Big sagebrush composed a higher percentage of the shrub community in non-burned sites than burned sites (n=6, P=0.001). The percentage of gray rubber rabbitbrush shrubs in the "high" browse class was not a statistically significant predictor of density as a proportion of the shrub community (n=13, P-value=0.161, R-sq=9.49%). Results indicate that gray rubber rabbitbrush responds to fire by increasing shortly after disturbance, falling out of the community at some threshold as sagebrush is re-established. Browsing did not affect the ability of gray rubber rabbitbrush to dominate for a period after fire.
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Meffin, Ross. "Invasion success and impacts of Hieracium lepidulum in a New Zealand tussock grassland and montane forest." Lincoln University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1808.
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Invasive species represent a major concern; they can result in serious ecological and economic losses and are recognised as one of the most serious threats to global species diversity. Plant invasions are of particular concern in New Zealand, which has high proportions of both naturalised and endemic plant species. In this thesis I focussed on the invasive plant Hieracium lepidulum, an exotic weed introduced from Europe to New Zealand prior to 1941. It is invasive in a variety of habitats in the South Island, where it has steadily increased in distribution and abundance over the last 50 years, and is thought to have detrimental impacts on native plant communities. I investigated factors influencing its invasion success and tested for impacts on native plant communities, making extensive use of existing plots into which H. lepidulum was experimentally introduced in 2003. I examined how community richness, turnover, resource availability and propagule pressure of the invader interacted to determine the invasion success of H. lepidulum. Results differed markedly above and below treeline. Above treeline, plots with higher richness and turnover were more invaded; below treeline, plots with higher available light were more invaded. In both habitats, these findings were modified by the influence of propagule pressure; at low propagule pressure, site characteristics were non-significant in explaining invasion success, while at higher propagule pressure these effects became significant. To test for impacts resulting in altered community composition and structure, I looked for changes in community richness, diversity and evenness subsequent to H. lepidulum introduction. As impacts may be more apparent at fine spatial scales, I made measurements at a 5 x 5 cm cell scale in addition to the established 30 x 30 cm plot scale. Plot species richness increased from 2003 to 2009 and a component of this increase was associated with H. lepidulum density. Other relationships between the plant community and H. lepidulum were generally non-significant. Results showed that H. lepidulum has had no negative effects on community richness, evenness or diversity. Despite being able to opportunistically colonise grassland sites with high turnover, and forest sites subject to canopy disturbance, dependant on propagule pressure, it appears H. lepidulum has not impacted community composition or structure.
Books on the topic "Montane grasslands"
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Cole, David N. Disturbance and recovery of trampled montane grassland and forests in Montana. Ogden, UT: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, 1988.
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Hendricks, Paul. Grassland bird surveys in north Valley County, Montana: 2001-2006. Helena, MT: Montana Natural Heritage Program, 2007.
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Lenard, Susan. Surveys for animal species of concern in sage and grassland landscapes in Montana. [Helena, MT]: Montana Natural Heritage Program, 2005.
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), Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Agency :. U. S. Land protection plan: Swan Valley conservation area, Montana. Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Fish and Wildfire Service, 2011.
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Hendricks, P. Roadside bird counts on BLM lands in Petroleum and Fergus counties, Montana. Helena, Mont: Montana Natural Heritage Program, 2000.
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Heal, O. W., D. F. Perkins, and W. M. Brown. Production Ecology of British Moors and Montane Grasslands. Springer, 2011.
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Lézine, Anne-Marie. Vegetation at the Time of the African Humid Period. Oxford University Press, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.013.530.
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An orbitally induced increase in summer insolation during the last glacial-interglacial transition enhanced the thermal contrast between land and sea, with land masses heating up compared to the adjacent ocean surface. In North Africa, warmer land surfaces created a low-pressure zone, driving the northward penetration of monsoonal rains originating from the Atlantic Ocean. As a consequence, regions today among the driest of the world were covered by permanent and deep freshwater lakes, some of them being exceptionally large, such as the “Mega” Lake Chad, which covered some 400 000 square kilometers. A dense network of rivers developed.What were the consequences of this climate change on plant distribution and biodiversity? Pollen grains that accumulated over time in lake sediments are useful tools to reconstruct past vegetation assemblages since they are extremely resistant to decay and are produced in great quantities. In addition, their morphological character allows the determination of most plant families and genera.In response to the postglacial humidity increase, tropical taxa that survived as strongly reduced populations during the last glacial period spread widely, shifting latitudes or elevations, expanding population size, or both. In the Saharan desert, pollen of tropical trees (e.g., Celtis) were found in sites located at up to 25°N in southern Libya. In the Equatorial mountains, trees (e.g., Olea and Podocarpus) migrated to higher elevations to form the present-day Afro-montane forests. Patterns of migration were individualistic, with the entire range of some taxa displaced to higher latitudes or shifted from one elevation belt to another. New combinations of climate/environmental conditions allowed the cooccurrences of taxa growing today in separate regions. Such migrational processes and species-overlapping ranges led to a tremendous increase in biodiversity, particularly in the Saharan desert, where more humid-adapted taxa expanded along water courses, lakes, and wetlands, whereas xerophytic populations persisted in drier areas.At the end of the Holocene era, some 2,500 to 4,500 years ago, the majority of sites in tropical Africa recorded a shift to drier conditions, with many lakes and wetlands drying out. The vegetation response to this shift was the overall disruption of the forests and the wide expansion of open landscapes (wooded grasslands, grasslands, and steppes). This environmental crisis created favorable conditions for further plant exploitation and cereal cultivation in the Congo Basin.
Book chapters on the topic "Montane grasslands"
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Coelho, Marcel S., G. Wilson Fernandes, Priscila Pacheco, Victor Diniz, Alline Meireles, Rubens M. dos Santos, Felipe A. Carvalho, and Daniel Negreiros. "Archipelago of Montane Forests Surrounded by Rupestrian Grasslands: New Insights and Perspectives." In Ecology and Conservation of Mountaintop grasslands in Brazil, 129–56. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29808-5_7.
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Fahey, Barry, Rick Jackson, and Lindsay Rowe. "Hydrological Effects of Afforestation and Pasture Improvement in Montane Grasslands, South Island, New Zealand." In Environmental Forest Science, 395–404. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 1998. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5324-9_43.
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Vankat, John L., John L. Vankat, John L. Vankat, and John L. Vankat. "Subalpine-Montane Grassland." In Vegetation Dynamics on the Mountains and Plateaus of the American Southwest, 334–70. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6149-0_6.
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Sasmitha, R., A. Muhammad Iqshanullah, and R. Arunachalam. "Ecosystem Changes in Shola Forest-Grassland Mosaic of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR)." In Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development. IntechOpen, 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95033.
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The Shola grasslands are tropical montane forests found in the high altitudes of Western Ghats separated by rolling grasslands. These unique ecosystems act as the home for many of the floral and faunal endemic species and also serve as the water reservoir for the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The grassland let the rainwater to flow through the sholas into the stream and provide water to the region throughout the year. The region once covered with tropical montane forest and grassland was transformed into a land of plantation over the centuries. As the grasslands are easy to clear off, tea estates, coffee estates and timber plantations were established by the British and later by the Indian forest department to satisfy the various need of the growing economy. Majority of this region are being replaced by the invasive tree species and agricultural plantations. This led to the loss of major proportion of the shola forest and grassland. Many developmental works have been carried out in the region and these developmental activities results in the gradual disappearance of the ecosystem. These ecosystem need to be conserved and hence, identifying the knowledge gap and application of current state of knowledge is necessary.
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Bond, William J. "Vertebrate herbivory and open ecosystems." In Open Ecosystems, 121–40. Oxford University Press, 2019. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198812456.003.0008.
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Can herbivores account for the widespread occurrence of open ecosystems? Some suggest that Pleistocene megafauna did so, and large mammal herbivory is still important in some regions today. Exclosure studies have been widely used to test herbivore impacts on trees, but global patterns of the ‘brown world’ are not readily seen from satellites. Areas of mammal consumer dominance occur in cool temperate/boreal regions (e.g. Tibetan montane grasslands) and savannas in Africa, but not in those in Australia or South America. Herbivores vary in their impact on openness of vegetation because of differences in body size, feeding mode, predator avoidance behaviour while plants also differ in their defences and accessibility. Unlike fire, proxies are lacking for how extinct herbivores, even giant sauropods, impacted vegetation. Very few studies deal explicitly with how vertebrate herbivores help create and maintain open ecosystems where climates are suitable for forests, and there is an urgent need to find out more.
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Milne, Bruce T., and Douglas I. Moore. "Multidecadal Drought Cycles in South-Central New Mexico: Patterns and Consequences." In Climate Variability and Ecosystem Response in Long-Term Ecological Research Sites. Oxford University Press, 2003. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195150599.003.0027.
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Extreme, regional droughts are the most common form of disturbance in semiarid ecosystems typified by relatively slow recovery rates. Drought-driven impacts can include regionally synchronized insect outbreaks, wildfires, and tree mortality (Swetnam and Betancourt 1990), as well as disastrous failures of agriculture, silviculture, and livestock production (Mainguet 1994). Drought conditions, accompanied by anthropogenic land mismanagement, have led to subsequent invasions of grasslands and farmlands by woody shrubs and nonnative forbs and grasses, contributing to the modern “desertification” process manifested in many parts of the world (Archer et al. 1988). In the American Southwest, the drought of the 1950s was one of the most severe climate events of the past millennium because of wide ramifications for the region’s ecology (Herbel et al. 1972; Swetnam and Betancourt 1998), water resources (Thomas 1963), and economy (Regensberg 1996). As human population and resource needs increase in the Southwest, so will the economic sensitivity to largescale drought. A clear understanding of extreme droughts is necessary not only to understand long-term ecosystem dynamics, but also to mitigate socioeconomic impacts. The goals of this chapter are to use the Sevilleta LTER site in central New Mexico to (1) quantify the decadal variability in precipitation inferred from a 394-year record of tree rings, (2) relate the repeated decadal fluctuations in precipitation to major droughts of the 1890s and 1950s, (3) assess the ecological responses associated with droughts of the last century, and (4) elucidate the biotic-atmospheric feed backs that may influence future responses. We assess the magnitude, timing, and consequences of decadal fluctuations in annual precipitation. The Sevilleta LTER research site is located at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Socorro County, New Mexico (34º20' N, 106º50' W). The Sevilleta NWR comprises 100,000 ha of grassland, desert, and woodland bordered by two mountain ranges and the Rio Grande Valley in between. Elevations range from 1,350 m at the Rio Grande to 2,797 m at Ladrón Peak in the northwestern portion of the refuge. Topography, geology, soils, and hydrology, interacting with major air mass dynamics, provide a spatial and temporal template that makes the region a transition zone between several biomes. The region contains communities that both represent and intersect Great Plains Grassland, Great Basin Shrub-steppe, Chihuahuan Desert, Interior Chaparral, and Montane Coniferous Forest (Brown 1982).
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Paruelo, José María, and Estebán G. Jobbágy. "The Grasslands and Steppes of Patagonia and the Río de la Plata Plains." In The Physical Geography of South America. Oxford University Press, 2007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195313413.003.0022.
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The Patagonian steppes and the Río de la Plata grasslands occupy a vast proportion of the plains, plateaus, and hills of southern South America, and are characterized by the almost absolute absence of trees. Prairies and steppes (grass and low shrubs) are the dominant physiognomic types, and forests are restricted to some riparian corridors. Savannas become important only in the ecotones of these regions, whereas meadows may be locally important under particular topographic or edaphic conditions. The Río de la Plata grasslands (RPG), one of the most important grassland regions in the world, extend between 28°S and 38°S latitude, covering about 700,000 km2 of eastern Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil. The boundaries of these grasslands include the Atlantic coastline to the east, dry temperate forests to the south and west, and subtropical humid forests to the north. Woody vegetation within the region is restricted to small areas near water bodies, such as the gallery forests along the large Paraná and Uruguay rivers and their tributary streams. The Patagonian steppes occupy the southern tip of the continent from approximately 40°S, and are framed by the Andes to the west and the Atlantic coast to the east and south and cover more than 800,000 km2 of Chile and Argentina. Toward the west, the region displays a sharp ecotone with the subantarctic forests, whereas to the north it grades into a broad zone of Monte scrublands in central Argentina. The RPG and the Patagonian steppes are separated by a wide strip of woody vegetation, the Monte and Espinal phytogeographic units (see chapter 10; Cabrera and Willkins, 1973). In this chapter, we describe the heterogeneity and main characteristics of the dominant ecosystems of the Patagonian steppes and the RPG, focusing on environmental controls and human-induced changes. Although numerous criteria have been applied to describe the internal heterogeneity of both regions, we emphasize here the structural and functional attributes of vegetation as integrators of climate, physiography, and land use.
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Young, Kenneth R., and Blanca León. "Tropical and Subtropical Landscapes of the Andes." In The Physical Geography of South America. Oxford University Press, 2007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195313413.003.0020.
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The Andes represent Earth’s longest mountain system and include some of the world’s highest peaks. The rugged relief found above 1,000 m elevation produces strong environmental gradients tied to dramatic changes in temperature, moisture, and atmospheric pressure. These physical factors provide the background to understanding Andean landforms and land cover. In this chapter, we review these factors and patterns, and the complicating influences of geology and human land use, for the tropical and subtropical portions of the Andes, above 1,000 m and from 11°N to 24°S, in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, and northernmost Argentina and Chile. The tropical Andes are recognized as one of the most important regions in the world from the viewpoint of biodiversity conservation (Myers et al., 2000; Brooks et al., 2002). They are home to ancient human settlements and early civilizations (Burger, 1992; Bruhns, 1994; Dillehay, 1999), and large indigenous populations (Maybury-Lewis, 2002) living in some of the highest permanent settlements in the world. As a result, a better understanding of the physical geography of this complex region is important for sustainable development initiatives and other global environmental concerns. Historically important overviews have been written for this region by von Humboldt (1807), Troll (1931), and Ellenberg (1958). Country-level studies include those for Venezuela (Monasterio, 1980), Colombia (Cuatrecasas, 1958; Rangel, 2000), Ecuador (Whymper, 1896; Acosta Solís, 1968; Jørgensen and León-Yánez, 1999), Perú (Weberbauer, 1945; Young and León, 2001), and Bolivia (Navarro and Maldonado, 2002). Luteyn (1999) has assembled information on the plants of the high elevations of the northern Andes, Luteyn and Churchill (2000) have examined the plant communities of the tropical Andes, and Kappelle and Brown (2001) have provided descriptive accounts of the montane forests. Inspiring chronicles can be found in Steele (1964) and Botting (1973). In this chapter, we first describe the relationships among the physical environments and natural landscapes of the tropical and subtropical Andes. We then discuss the natural vegetation types to be found, as typified by the forests, shrublands, grasslands, high Andean types, and wetlands. Finally, we summarize key aspects of the role of historical biogeography and human influences on and within those landscapes.