limitation; spring warming to early snowmelt (Moran-Tejeda et al. 2014) and
upward shift of the snow line in spring; winter warming to episodic events of
melting (Gobiet et al. 2014) and shorter snow duration (Hantel and Hirtl-Wielke
2007); summer snowline uplift to a reduced nival belt (Gottfried et al. 2011), and so
on. In general, the shift from snow to rain may have amplifying consequences for
the hydrological cycle and the natural processes depending on it (Morán-Tejeda
et al. 2017). Floods related to rain-on-snow events may increase (Beniston and
Stoffel 2016), at least during a transition period as warming proceed. All things
considered, climate change may increase synchrony between ecosystems compared
to pre-industrial dynamics, which appears to be the case for forest over large areas
(Shestakova et al. 2016).
1.2.2 Atmospheric Contaminants
During the last decades, awareness about the accumulation of some persistent
organic pollutants (POPs) in high-mountain organisms has been increasing, mainly
from fish (Schmid et al. 2007; Grimalt et al. 2001) and pine needles studies (Grimalt
and van Drooge 2006; Davidson et al. 2004). The initially uncertainity of measuring high concentrations of some pollutants, far away from the areas where they
are produced or used, has given way to understanding the mechanisms related to the
semi-volatile character of these compounds (Catalan 2015). Although details may
differ from site to site, the preferential accumulation in cold areas, such as the high
mountains, is related to the air-water partition sensitivity to temperature for these
compounds (Wania and Westgate 2008). They are extremely hydrophobic, so if in
solution they quickly adhere to any organic material and thus organisms (Catalan
et al. 2004). The toxicological consequences of the POPs bioaccumulation in
mountain organisms are scarcely known; there are only a few pioneering studies
(Jarque et al. 2015; Quiros et al. 2007).
In fact, environmental dynamics of synthetic substances and their ecological
consequences is one of the major unknowns among global change components. The
assumed general behaviour may be plenty of challenging particularities for each
compound (Bartrons et al. 2012). Conservation biology should pay more attention
to the investigation of the potential problem. It may be affecting wildlife in a way
still difficult to evaluate, but that could be non-negligible according to the indications provided by some studies in wild predators (Elliott et al. 2012) and domestic
herbivores (Shunthirasingham et al. 2013). An added interest to the topic is the
interaction of this dynamics with climate warming (Noyes et al. 2009). On the one
hand, higher temperatures will decrease the tendency to condensate of these
compounds in some mountain areas. On the other hand, high temperatures will
increase their release from soils were they might have accumulated. In any case,
there will be a redistribution of substances trapped in natural reservoirs [e.g., glaciers, Schmid et al. (2011)] and long-distance air transport will be probably
enhanced. New synthetic organic substances are discovered every day (Muir and
1 The High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World
7
upward shift of the snow line in spring; winter warming to episodic events of
melting (Gobiet et al. 2014) and shorter snow duration (Hantel and Hirtl-Wielke
2007); summer snowline uplift to a reduced nival belt (Gottfried et al. 2011), and so
on. In general, the shift from snow to rain may have amplifying consequences for
the hydrological cycle and the natural processes depending on it (Morán-Tejeda
et al. 2017). Floods related to rain-on-snow events may increase (Beniston and
Stoffel 2016), at least during a transition period as warming proceed. All things
considered, climate change may increase synchrony between ecosystems compared
to pre-industrial dynamics, which appears to be the case for forest over large areas
(Shestakova et al. 2016).
1.2.2 Atmospheric Contaminants
During the last decades, awareness about the accumulation of some persistent
organic pollutants (POPs) in high-mountain organisms has been increasing, mainly
from fish (Schmid et al. 2007; Grimalt et al. 2001) and pine needles studies (Grimalt
and van Drooge 2006; Davidson et al. 2004). The initially uncertainity of measuring high concentrations of some pollutants, far away from the areas where they
are produced or used, has given way to understanding the mechanisms related to the
semi-volatile character of these compounds (Catalan 2015). Although details may
differ from site to site, the preferential accumulation in cold areas, such as the high
mountains, is related to the air-water partition sensitivity to temperature for these
compounds (Wania and Westgate 2008). They are extremely hydrophobic, so if in
solution they quickly adhere to any organic material and thus organisms (Catalan
et al. 2004). The toxicological consequences of the POPs bioaccumulation in
mountain organisms are scarcely known; there are only a few pioneering studies
(Jarque et al. 2015; Quiros et al. 2007).
In fact, environmental dynamics of synthetic substances and their ecological
consequences is one of the major unknowns among global change components. The
assumed general behaviour may be plenty of challenging particularities for each
compound (Bartrons et al. 2012). Conservation biology should pay more attention
to the investigation of the potential problem. It may be affecting wildlife in a way
still difficult to evaluate, but that could be non-negligible according to the indications provided by some studies in wild predators (Elliott et al. 2012) and domestic
herbivores (Shunthirasingham et al. 2013). An added interest to the topic is the
interaction of this dynamics with climate warming (Noyes et al. 2009). On the one
hand, higher temperatures will decrease the tendency to condensate of these
compounds in some mountain areas. On the other hand, high temperatures will
increase their release from soils were they might have accumulated. In any case,
there will be a redistribution of substances trapped in natural reservoirs [e.g., glaciers, Schmid et al. (2011)] and long-distance air transport will be probably
enhanced. New synthetic organic substances are discovered every day (Muir and
1 The High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World
7