Fig. 9.2 Altitude is the primary factor of climatic heterogeneity in mountain landscapes, with
high-altitude areas having generally low (−) temperatures and high (+) precipitation compared to
low-altitude areas. It causes short growing seasons, low plant productivity and low soil C
mineralisation rates (downwards arrows) in high-altitude sites compared to the bottom of the
valleys. Photo: J. Garcia-Pausas
Fig. 9.3 Predicted soil
organic C stocks (SOCS) as a
function of altitude and aspect
in the Pyrenean subalpine and
alpine grasslands. From
Garcia-Pausas et al. (2007)
with permission of Springer
9 Are Soil Carbon Stocks in Mountain Grasslands …
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