8 Ecosystems of the Earth
The two volumes on the vegetation of the earth (Walter 1968, 1973, short version:
Walter 1986, 1990) give, in approximately 2,000 pages, a survey of the vegetation
and climate of the globe. A totally new edition, including ecological processes in the
various ecosystems and ecozones, was much needed, so Heinrich Walter invited me
to be a co-author. A new rather comprehensive and strictly hierarchical content of
all of the necessary ecologically ranked units, and including relevant recent literature, led to the four volumes Ökologie der Erde (Ecological Systems of the
Geo-biosphere) (Walter and Breckle 1983, 1984, 1986a, b, c, 1989, 1991a, b, c,
1994, 2004), including revised new editions. Mainly the third volume, with all of
the Russian literature, needed another co-author after Heinrich Walter’s death on
15 October 1989. Independently, we had the same solution: Okmir Agakhanjanz
was the ideal partner, having been a DFG guest professor in Bielefeld in 1992 and a
future close friend. His long-term studies in the Pamirs and many other Asian
mountains were the incentive for the Pamir expedition in 2002 [with the help of
GTZ-UNCCD (Bonn) and DAAD (Bonn) funding (Figs. 3a and 19a–d)], with all
aspects of biological and geographical highlights (including Bavarian Television).
All of the curious conditions and adventures of scientific work were illustrated by
Agakhanjanz (2002).
In order to describe all of the various ecosystems of the climatic belts of the whole
geo-biosphere, it seemed necessary not only to check all relevant literature but also
to become personally familiar with most ecosystems. Examples from the tropics,
lowlands, mountains and islands (see Fig. 44c) and the various hot deserts could be
enlarged by experience and examples from savannah ecosystems, from the various
Mediterranean biomes, from high mountains on most continents and from taiga and
tundra. There are still many blank areas (on the global map) concerning our own
experience. However, I am sad to say, there are increasing difficulties in studying
ecological systems abroad, for political reasons and because of bureaucracy, civil
wars and the ongoing destruction of natural ecosystems. Despite better possibilities
to travel across continents, it has become more complicated to study natural ecosystems – often isolated in national parks – as a basis for comparison of the natural
processes of ecosystems of the various zono-biomes.
Heinrich Walter had initiated a book series titled Vegetationsmonographien
der einzelnen Großräume (Vegetation Monographs of the Major World Regions).
The series was funded in 1965. In his survey (Walter 1976), he explained the
whole concept of hierarchical ecosystems of zono-biomes, biomes and ecotones.
After Heinrich Walter’s death in 1989, I continued as the editor of this monograph
series. The concept includes nine world regions. After volume 1 (North America,
Knapp 1965), volume 2 (South American forests, Hueck 1966), volume 3 (Africa,
Knapp 1973), volume 7 (North and Central Asia, Walter 1974) and volume 10
(climate diagrams of all continents, Walter et al. 1975), additional volumes to be
published were volume 4 (Australia, Beadle 1981), volume 9 (Pacific Islands,
Mueller-Dombois and Fosberg 1998) and volume 8 (not indicated as such: Europe,
Vegetation, Climate and Soil: 50 Years of Global Ecology
47
The two volumes on the vegetation of the earth (Walter 1968, 1973, short version:
Walter 1986, 1990) give, in approximately 2,000 pages, a survey of the vegetation
and climate of the globe. A totally new edition, including ecological processes in the
various ecosystems and ecozones, was much needed, so Heinrich Walter invited me
to be a co-author. A new rather comprehensive and strictly hierarchical content of
all of the necessary ecologically ranked units, and including relevant recent literature, led to the four volumes Ökologie der Erde (Ecological Systems of the
Geo-biosphere) (Walter and Breckle 1983, 1984, 1986a, b, c, 1989, 1991a, b, c,
1994, 2004), including revised new editions. Mainly the third volume, with all of
the Russian literature, needed another co-author after Heinrich Walter’s death on
15 October 1989. Independently, we had the same solution: Okmir Agakhanjanz
was the ideal partner, having been a DFG guest professor in Bielefeld in 1992 and a
future close friend. His long-term studies in the Pamirs and many other Asian
mountains were the incentive for the Pamir expedition in 2002 [with the help of
GTZ-UNCCD (Bonn) and DAAD (Bonn) funding (Figs. 3a and 19a–d)], with all
aspects of biological and geographical highlights (including Bavarian Television).
All of the curious conditions and adventures of scientific work were illustrated by
Agakhanjanz (2002).
In order to describe all of the various ecosystems of the climatic belts of the whole
geo-biosphere, it seemed necessary not only to check all relevant literature but also
to become personally familiar with most ecosystems. Examples from the tropics,
lowlands, mountains and islands (see Fig. 44c) and the various hot deserts could be
enlarged by experience and examples from savannah ecosystems, from the various
Mediterranean biomes, from high mountains on most continents and from taiga and
tundra. There are still many blank areas (on the global map) concerning our own
experience. However, I am sad to say, there are increasing difficulties in studying
ecological systems abroad, for political reasons and because of bureaucracy, civil
wars and the ongoing destruction of natural ecosystems. Despite better possibilities
to travel across continents, it has become more complicated to study natural ecosystems – often isolated in national parks – as a basis for comparison of the natural
processes of ecosystems of the various zono-biomes.
Heinrich Walter had initiated a book series titled Vegetationsmonographien
der einzelnen Großräume (Vegetation Monographs of the Major World Regions).
The series was funded in 1965. In his survey (Walter 1976), he explained the
whole concept of hierarchical ecosystems of zono-biomes, biomes and ecotones.
After Heinrich Walter’s death in 1989, I continued as the editor of this monograph
series. The concept includes nine world regions. After volume 1 (North America,
Knapp 1965), volume 2 (South American forests, Hueck 1966), volume 3 (Africa,
Knapp 1973), volume 7 (North and Central Asia, Walter 1974) and volume 10
(climate diagrams of all continents, Walter et al. 1975), additional volumes to be
published were volume 4 (Australia, Beadle 1981), volume 9 (Pacific Islands,
Mueller-Dombois and Fosberg 1998) and volume 8 (not indicated as such: Europe,
Vegetation, Climate and Soil: 50 Years of Global Ecology
47