Mountain World in Danger Climate change in the forests and mountains of Europe

The changing climate, the warming of the world and acid rain are among the greatest problems facing us at the end of the twentieth century. This book describes, for the first time, the effects of these phenomena on the high mountains and the forests of Europe. Mountains and the frozen regions (the cryosphere) not only play a major part in our climatic system, but are also central to our water supplies. Yet our glaciers are shrinking, our lakes and soils are becoming acidified, our forests are damaged and the whole fragile ecosystem of ranges like the Alps and the Caucasus is threatened. Nilsson and Pitt present the evidence and assess the probable effects of these changes on mountain society, tourism, water, flora and fauna. They also examine the uncertainties. Above all they look, too, at the best possible strategies in response to What is happening and at what the next steps should be. Originally published in 1991

List of Figures and Tables Abbreviations Preface Foreword Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Climate Change: Facts and Theories 2. Mountain and Cryosphere Situations 3. Climate Change and Mountain Regions 4. Climate Change and Mountain Forests 5. What Can be Done? 6. International Responses Appendices Impacts of Climate Change on Seasonal Snow Cover, Ice and Permafrost and Socioeconomic Consequences - the IPCC Conclusions II Second World Climate Conference - Ministerial Declaration III Mountains and the Cryosphere - Proposals for the World Conservation Strategy IV IPCC3: Report of the Response Strategies Working Group V Extract from Second World Climate Conference ? Conference Statement VI Possible Elements for Inclusion in a Framework Convention on Climate Change VII The Bellerive Initiative on Alpine Action Index 188