Chapter 16
Monitoring Global Change in High
Mountains
Regino Zamora, Antonio J. Pérez-Luque and Francisco J. Bonet
Abstract Long-term ecological research provides essential information to understand the complex dynamics of natural systems. In a global change scenario, high
mountains represent an exceptional ecology field lab for long-term research and
monitoring, offering an enormous mosaic of ecological conditions existing along
mountain slopes. Mountains ecosystems also constitute invaluable observatories of
the atmosphere and all the aspects related to climate, atmospheric particle deposition, pollutants, greenhouse gases, or the transport of resistant biological forms.
Mountains are sensors for early detection of change. In the Sierra Nevada LTER
site (southern Spain), we have been implementing a long-term monitoring programme taking advantage of the high altitude and geographical position of this
Mediterranean mountain. We have identified the main expected impacts in the
context of global change and analysed the biophysical and socioeconomic data
available to assess exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of ecosystems to
future scenarios. The study incorporates a retrospective of past human management
of land use, to understand the current state of conservation of the ecosystems and
make plausible forecasts on its response to future scenarios. The results show the
following: (1) an ancestral human footprint on the ecosystems of Sierra Nevada,
particularly evident during the 20th century; (2) a moderate climate warming, with
reduction and increased variability in precipitation, as well as a consequent
reduction in snow-cover duration during the last few decades; (3) significant
changes in biophysical characteristics of rivers and mountain lakes; and (4) shifts in
the distribution and phenology of many species of plants and animals along elevation gradients.
Keywords Long-term ecological research LTER Á Sierra Nevada Á Global change
monitoring Á Mediterranean mountains Á Land-use changes
R. Zamora (&) Á A.J. Pérez-Luque Á F.J. Bonet
Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias & Instituto Interuniversitario
Sistema Tierra en Andalucía (IISTA), Universidad de Granada,
Avda. del Mediterráneo s/n, 18006 Granada, Spain
e-mail: rzamora@ugr.es
© The Author(s) 2017
J. Catalan et al. (eds.), High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World,
Advances in Global Change Research 62, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-55982-7_16
385
Monitoring Global Change in High
Mountains
Regino Zamora, Antonio J. Pérez-Luque and Francisco J. Bonet
Abstract Long-term ecological research provides essential information to understand the complex dynamics of natural systems. In a global change scenario, high
mountains represent an exceptional ecology field lab for long-term research and
monitoring, offering an enormous mosaic of ecological conditions existing along
mountain slopes. Mountains ecosystems also constitute invaluable observatories of
the atmosphere and all the aspects related to climate, atmospheric particle deposition, pollutants, greenhouse gases, or the transport of resistant biological forms.
Mountains are sensors for early detection of change. In the Sierra Nevada LTER
site (southern Spain), we have been implementing a long-term monitoring programme taking advantage of the high altitude and geographical position of this
Mediterranean mountain. We have identified the main expected impacts in the
context of global change and analysed the biophysical and socioeconomic data
available to assess exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of ecosystems to
future scenarios. The study incorporates a retrospective of past human management
of land use, to understand the current state of conservation of the ecosystems and
make plausible forecasts on its response to future scenarios. The results show the
following: (1) an ancestral human footprint on the ecosystems of Sierra Nevada,
particularly evident during the 20th century; (2) a moderate climate warming, with
reduction and increased variability in precipitation, as well as a consequent
reduction in snow-cover duration during the last few decades; (3) significant
changes in biophysical characteristics of rivers and mountain lakes; and (4) shifts in
the distribution and phenology of many species of plants and animals along elevation gradients.
Keywords Long-term ecological research LTER Á Sierra Nevada Á Global change
monitoring Á Mediterranean mountains Á Land-use changes
R. Zamora (&) Á A.J. Pérez-Luque Á F.J. Bonet
Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias & Instituto Interuniversitario
Sistema Tierra en Andalucía (IISTA), Universidad de Granada,
Avda. del Mediterráneo s/n, 18006 Granada, Spain
e-mail: rzamora@ugr.es
© The Author(s) 2017
J. Catalan et al. (eds.), High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World,
Advances in Global Change Research 62, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-55982-7_16
385