local and regional levels. Conservation will have to deal with that. Coexisting
species will not migrate at the same pace with climate change, they even may move
in opposite directions if some migrate with the gradient and other counter it (Laiolo
and Obeso 2017).
There is a wealth of information about ecological changes with climate fluctuations and human land use in the mountains that still requires a deep analysis
beyond patterns’ description. Progressively, environmental history is providing a
better temporal and spatial resolution about the changes occurred in the mountains
during the Holocene (Pèlachs et al. 2017). Yet we may be switching towards a
situation without analogues in the past, during this transition we may face situations
that similarly occurred during the last 10,000 years. Introducing a long-term historical perspective (centuries to several millennia) in the tool box of mountain
conservation management appears as a sensible measure to achieve a correct
compromise between observation and action.
1.5.2 Loss of Uniqueness
Natural reserves are proud of being representative of the natural values of a particular territory and landscape, but also they are selected because they hold elements
of singularity. Scenic values have not to be dismissed (Fig. 1.8). Sometimes the
singularity may be more aesthetical than substantial (e.g., certain erosive forms).
The very term “National Park” tracks back to some of the initial triggers for the
creation of nature reserves during a historical period of effervescent national feelings (Radkau 2008). Identity was reinforced protecting areas of “unique landscape.”
These scenic values are still perceived as a primary value for visitors to mountain
nature reserves (Schirpke et al. 2013). Abandonment of traditional land use may
lead to more homogenous landscapes, which may be perceived negatively by
visitors. Thus regional mountain planning and political decision makers should
make compatible demands from the wilderness, and cultural landscape conservation
visions. This is not an easy task. It requires the understanding of nature and
socio-economic dynamics at multiple scales. In many ways, the global challenges
have its equivalent at regional and local scales.
High-mountains, particularly those in ranges of intermediate size, become territories with a collection of communities and species that mostly differ from those
dominant in low lands and middle mountains. This applies in particular when the
elevation is in a dry region so that large differences in water availability are added to
the altitudinal thermal gradient. In areas without water shortage, warming will
produce an uplift of the vegetation belts with the risk of losing the high-mountain
character to some extent (Rixen and Wipf 2017). An extreme situation will be the
collapse of the alpine flora in a few submits and its impoverishment in many
high-mountain temperate areas. This may lead to challenging decisions to be taken
in nature reserves. Studies on the genetic structure of small plant populations have
provided unexpected results about the lack of the correspondence between isolation
24
J. Catalan et al.
species will not migrate at the same pace with climate change, they even may move
in opposite directions if some migrate with the gradient and other counter it (Laiolo
and Obeso 2017).
There is a wealth of information about ecological changes with climate fluctuations and human land use in the mountains that still requires a deep analysis
beyond patterns’ description. Progressively, environmental history is providing a
better temporal and spatial resolution about the changes occurred in the mountains
during the Holocene (Pèlachs et al. 2017). Yet we may be switching towards a
situation without analogues in the past, during this transition we may face situations
that similarly occurred during the last 10,000 years. Introducing a long-term historical perspective (centuries to several millennia) in the tool box of mountain
conservation management appears as a sensible measure to achieve a correct
compromise between observation and action.
1.5.2 Loss of Uniqueness
Natural reserves are proud of being representative of the natural values of a particular territory and landscape, but also they are selected because they hold elements
of singularity. Scenic values have not to be dismissed (Fig. 1.8). Sometimes the
singularity may be more aesthetical than substantial (e.g., certain erosive forms).
The very term “National Park” tracks back to some of the initial triggers for the
creation of nature reserves during a historical period of effervescent national feelings (Radkau 2008). Identity was reinforced protecting areas of “unique landscape.”
These scenic values are still perceived as a primary value for visitors to mountain
nature reserves (Schirpke et al. 2013). Abandonment of traditional land use may
lead to more homogenous landscapes, which may be perceived negatively by
visitors. Thus regional mountain planning and political decision makers should
make compatible demands from the wilderness, and cultural landscape conservation
visions. This is not an easy task. It requires the understanding of nature and
socio-economic dynamics at multiple scales. In many ways, the global challenges
have its equivalent at regional and local scales.
High-mountains, particularly those in ranges of intermediate size, become territories with a collection of communities and species that mostly differ from those
dominant in low lands and middle mountains. This applies in particular when the
elevation is in a dry region so that large differences in water availability are added to
the altitudinal thermal gradient. In areas without water shortage, warming will
produce an uplift of the vegetation belts with the risk of losing the high-mountain
character to some extent (Rixen and Wipf 2017). An extreme situation will be the
collapse of the alpine flora in a few submits and its impoverishment in many
high-mountain temperate areas. This may lead to challenging decisions to be taken
in nature reserves. Studies on the genetic structure of small plant populations have
provided unexpected results about the lack of the correspondence between isolation
24
J. Catalan et al.