The tropical mountain forest : patterns and processes in a biodiversity hotspot / S. Robbert Gradstein, Jürgen Homeier and Dirk Gansert (editors).

Includes bibliographical references.

Tropical mountain forests are very rich in species and are generally considered as hotspots of biodiversity. They are also of great ecological importance as sources of water and other ecosystem services for millions of people living in the tropics. However, these valuable forest ecosystems are now increasingly being fragmented, reduced and disturbed by human interventions. This book originated from a lecture series on the tropical mountain forest organized by the G?ttingen Centre of Biodiversity and Ecology and held at the University of G?ttingen, Germany during the summer term of 2007. The volume presents a synthesis of current ecological research in Germany on the tropical mountain forest, from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Preface -- Tropical mountain forests-distribution and general features -- Tropical mountain forest dynamics in Mata Atlantica and northern Andean biodiversity hotspots during the late Quaternary -- Diversity and endemism in tropical montane forests-from patterns to processes -- Epiphytes of tropical montane forests-impact of deforestation and climate change -- Mycorrhizal fungi and plant diversity in tropical mountain rainforest of southern Ecuador -- The soil fauna of a tropical mountain rainforest in southern Ecuador : structure and functioning -- The influence of topography on forest structure and regeneration dynamics in an Ecuadorian montane forest -- Carbon allocation and productivity in tropical mountain forests.

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