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Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- 1.Tropical mountain forests - distribution and general features -- 2. Tropical mountain forest dynamics in Mata Atlantica and northern Andean biodiversity hotspots during the late Quaternary -- 3. Diversity and endemism in tropical montane forests - from patterns to processes -- 4. Epiphytes of tropical montane forests - impact of deforestation and climate change -- 5. Mycorrhizal fungi and plant diversity in tropical mountain rainforest of southern Ecuador -- 6. The soil fauna of a tropical mountain rainforest in southern Ecuador: structure and functioning -- 7. The influence of topography on forest structure and regeneration dynamics in an Ecuadorian montane forest -- 8. Carbon allocation and productivity in tropical mountain forests -- 9. Hydrology of natural and anthropogenically altered tropical montane rainforests with special reference to rainfall interception -- 10. Soil, climate and vegetation in tropical montane forests - a case study from the Yungas, Bolivia -- 11. Indigenous land use practices and biodiversity conservation in southern Ecuador -- 12. Sustainable management of tropical mountain forests in Ecuador -- 13. Ecological aspects of a biodiversity hotspot in the Andes of southern Ecuador.

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 Göttingen Centre of Biodiversity and Ecology and held at the University of Göttingen, 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.

The Atlantic Forest biome is well known as one of the mostly biodiversity regions on earth, hosting high species endemism and species/area ratio. It stretches around 1,300,000 km2 along the Brazilian coast between latitudes 3º and 33º S and longitudes 35º and 57º E. Due to the increase of human impact through the intensification of land-use and consequent broad landscape replacement along the centuries, only 10-15% of the Atlantic Forest biome remains in a natural or semi-natural state, being considered one of the most priority areas for conservation. It encompasses a wide variation of clim...

The Atlantic Forest biome is well known as one of the mostly biodiversity regions on earth, hosting high species endemism and species/area ratio. It stretches around 1,300,000 km2 along the Brazilian coast between latitudes 3º and 33º S and longitudes 35º and 57º E. Due to the increase of human impact through the intensification of land-use and consequent broad landscape replacement along the centuries, only 10-15% of the Atlantic Forest biome remains in a natural or semi-natural state, being considered one of the most priority areas for conservation. It encompasses a wide variation of clim...