Chapter 3
Molecular Biogeography of the High
Mountain Systems of Europe:
An Overview
Thomas Schmitt
Abstract The biogeography of alpine and arctic–alpine species is complex, much
more complex than thought until relatively recently. Alpine species survived glacial
periods mostly within refugia in close proximity to the mountains where they are
found today. One mountain range can be colonised from several glacial refugia,
while one refugium can be the source of colonisation of more than one mountain
range. The zonal distributions in the glacial cold steppes are only of importance for
arctic–alpine species. Their arctic ranges normally derive from there, while the
southern mountains were colonised from there or from near-mountain refugia as in
the cases of the alpine species.
Keywords Alpine disjunct species Á Arctic–alpine disjunctions Á Refugia Á Range
dynamics Á Nunataks Á Biogeography Á Phylogeography
3.1 Introduction
Europe is a continent characterised by a larger number of different high mountain
systems, especially in its southern parts. These mountains vary considerably in their
size and in their height. By far the highest and largest mountain system in Europe is
the Alps, if the even higher Caucasus that forms part of the border with Asia is not
considered. The Pyrenees and the Scandes also represent large systems of continuous high mountains. This applies less to the Carpathians, which have larger
stretches along their length of 1300 km without true high mountain habitats (i.e. the
alpine zone or oreal, naturally not covered by forests). Furthermore, many generally
T. Schmitt (&)
Senckenberg German Entomological Institute, Eberswalder Straße 90, 15374 Müncheberg,
Germany
e-mail: thomas.schmitt@senckenberg.de
T. Schmitt
Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, Martin Luther
University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
© 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_3
63
Molecular Biogeography of the High
Mountain Systems of Europe:
An Overview
Thomas Schmitt
Abstract The biogeography of alpine and arctic–alpine species is complex, much
more complex than thought until relatively recently. Alpine species survived glacial
periods mostly within refugia in close proximity to the mountains where they are
found today. One mountain range can be colonised from several glacial refugia,
while one refugium can be the source of colonisation of more than one mountain
range. The zonal distributions in the glacial cold steppes are only of importance for
arctic–alpine species. Their arctic ranges normally derive from there, while the
southern mountains were colonised from there or from near-mountain refugia as in
the cases of the alpine species.
Keywords Alpine disjunct species Á Arctic–alpine disjunctions Á Refugia Á Range
dynamics Á Nunataks Á Biogeography Á Phylogeography
3.1 Introduction
Europe is a continent characterised by a larger number of different high mountain
systems, especially in its southern parts. These mountains vary considerably in their
size and in their height. By far the highest and largest mountain system in Europe is
the Alps, if the even higher Caucasus that forms part of the border with Asia is not
considered. The Pyrenees and the Scandes also represent large systems of continuous high mountains. This applies less to the Carpathians, which have larger
stretches along their length of 1300 km without true high mountain habitats (i.e. the
alpine zone or oreal, naturally not covered by forests). Furthermore, many generally
T. Schmitt (&)
Senckenberg German Entomological Institute, Eberswalder Straße 90, 15374 Müncheberg,
Germany
e-mail: thomas.schmitt@senckenberg.de
T. Schmitt
Faculty of Natural Sciences I, Department of Zoology, Institute of Biology, Martin Luther
University Halle-Wittenberg, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
© 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_3
63