Alpine Ecology in the Iberian Peninsula: What Do We Know, and What Do We Need to Learn?

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2013Author
Barrio, Isabel C.
Bueno, C. Guillermo
Nagy, Laszlo
Palacio, Sara
Grau, Oriol
Munilla, Ignacio
García, María Begoña
Garcia-Cervigón, Ana I.
Gartzia, Maite
Gazol, Antonio
Lara-Romero, Carlos
Anadon-Rosell, Alba
Ninot, Josep M.
Alados, Concepción L.
Fillat Estaqué, Federico
Zamora, Regino
Suggested citation
Barrio, Isabel C.;
Bueno, C. Guillermo;
Nagy, Laszlo;
Palacio, Sara;
Grau, Oriol;
Munilla, Ignacio;
...
Zamora, Regino.
(2013)
.
Alpine Ecology in the Iberian Peninsula: What Do We Know, and What Do We Need to Learn?.
Mountain Research and Development, 2013, vol. 33, num. 4, p. 437-442.
https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-13-00052.1.
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The 11th Conference of the Spanish Association of Terrestrial Ecology, held in Pamplona, Spain, on 6-10 May 2013, included a symposium on alpine ecological research in the Iberian Peninsula. This session offered an excellent opportunity to assess the state and progress of alpine ecology in this region, identify knowledge gaps, and discuss further directions for research. Iberian alpine ecosystems are biodiversity hotspots and have traditionally contributed to sustaining rural livelihoods. Today, these ecosystems are subjected to large changes in land uses, including land abandonment, and are affected by climate change. This article reviews the current state of Iberian alpine ecology and proposes a research agenda. Alpine ecology in the Iberian Peninsula is a growing field of research. The need for larger spatial and temporal scales in research and monitoring, along with the integration of socioecological aspects, is a critical issue for understanding the major drivers of change in the alpine ecosystems of the Iberian Peninsula. The implementation of effective mitigation strategies aimed at reducing the impact of the pressing environmental and socioeconomic problems of Iberian mountain areas can only be accomplished through a multidisciplinary and integrative approach.