Despite the high rates of deforestation measured worldwide, forest cover in developed countries is on the increase, especially in mountain areas. Forests located at high altitude (i.e. subalpine forests), are considered to be climate-controlled ecosystems, and therefore likely to be highly sensitive to climatic changes. Thus, forest encroachment in these systems has often been attributed to reported increase in temperatures, which may favour conditions for tree growth and recruitment near or beyond the treeline. Nevertheless, climate change is only one of the factors that may affect forest expansion in subalpine belt. In those mountain ranges largely exposed to significant human influence, such as those located on north-Mediterranean basin, forest distribution is also affected by changes in anthropogenic disturbance regimes. Although attemps have been made to disentangle between these two factors as main drivers of forest expansion, this is still one of the major challenges of this research area.
Within this general context we have conducted a number of studies aiming at determine the main drivers of forest expansion in mountaineous areas using as study case: (1) the Pyrenean Pinus uncinata Ram. forests (the dominant subalpine formation in the Pyrennes), (2) the forest areas located inside Spanish National Parks (which have been unmanaged from several decades up to now) and (3) the treeline formations in the Pyrenees.
To assess the spatial patterns of forest expansion in these areas we use a multi-scale approach, based on comparison of complete series of historical and actual aerial photographs. This allows covering a great surface while keeping high resolution associated to these photographs.
Within this general context we have conducted a number of studies aiming at determine the main drivers of forest expansion in mountaineous areas using as study case: (1) the Pyrenean Pinus uncinata Ram. forests (the dominant subalpine formation in the Pyrennes), (2) the forest areas located inside Spanish National Parks (which have been unmanaged from several decades up to now) and (3) the treeline formations in the Pyrenees.
To assess the spatial patterns of forest expansion in these areas we use a multi-scale approach, based on comparison of complete series of historical and actual aerial photographs. This allows covering a great surface while keeping high resolution associated to these photographs.
Source: Molina (2000)
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Ameztegui et al. (2010) Global Ecol Biogeog
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Related publications
Ameztegui A, Coll L, Brotons L, Ninot JM. Land-use legacies rather than climate change are driving the recent upward shift of the mountain treeline in the Pyrenees. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 25(3): 263-273.
Villero, D., Pla, M., Clavero, M., Ruiz-Olmo, J., García, D., Coll, L., Ameztegui, A., Brotons, L. (2015) El papel de las trayectorias históricas en los cambios de uso del suelo sobre aves forestales protegidas en el Parque Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici. In: Amengual, P., Asensio, B (Eds.) Proyectos de investigación en parques nacionales: 2010-2013. Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Madrid. ISBN: 978-84-8014-870-2.
Ameztegui A, Coll L. (2015) Herbivory and seedling establishment in Pyrenean forests: influence of micro- and mesohabitat factors on browsing pressure. Forest Ecology and Management 342: 103-111.
Martín-Alcón S., Coll L., Aunós A. (2012) A broad-scale analysis of the main factors determining the current structure and understory composition of Catalonian sub-alpine (Pinus uncinata Ram.) forest. Forestry 85(2): 225-236.
Ameztegui, A.; Brotons, L.; Coll, L. (2010) Land-use changes as major drivers of Mountain pine (Pinus uncinata Ram.) expansion in the Pyrenees. Global Ecology and Biogeography 19(5): 632-641.
Villero, D., Pla, M., Clavero, M., Ruiz-Olmo, J., García, D., Coll, L., Ameztegui, A., Brotons, L. (2015) El papel de las trayectorias históricas en los cambios de uso del suelo sobre aves forestales protegidas en el Parque Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici. In: Amengual, P., Asensio, B (Eds.) Proyectos de investigación en parques nacionales: 2010-2013. Organismo Autónomo de Parques Nacionales, Madrid. ISBN: 978-84-8014-870-2.
Ameztegui A, Coll L. (2015) Herbivory and seedling establishment in Pyrenean forests: influence of micro- and mesohabitat factors on browsing pressure. Forest Ecology and Management 342: 103-111.
Martín-Alcón S., Coll L., Aunós A. (2012) A broad-scale analysis of the main factors determining the current structure and understory composition of Catalonian sub-alpine (Pinus uncinata Ram.) forest. Forestry 85(2): 225-236.
Ameztegui, A.; Brotons, L.; Coll, L. (2010) Land-use changes as major drivers of Mountain pine (Pinus uncinata Ram.) expansion in the Pyrenees. Global Ecology and Biogeography 19(5): 632-641.
