Global Change in the Mountains

This volume contains data and analyses of the role and significance of global change for mountain regions and peoples. In nine major sections containing 78 extended abstracts, the book documents scientific findings concerning the role of mountains in the Earth system, especially in regard to the climate, functioning of ecosystems, and transport of materials and water, as well as the role of mountains in providing homes and jobs. The book's nine main sections cover the mountain regions of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. This volume is a product of a project of the European Union's (EU) European Network for Research in Global Change, known as ENRICH, and a key contribution to understanding the integration of earth system and human system perspectives that underpin the philosophy of the Fifth EU Research and Technological Development Framework Programme. Includes bibliographic references, a list of acronyms, and index. This volume is the Proceedings of the European Conference on Environmental and Societal Change in Mountain Regions held in Oxford, UK, 18-20 December 1997.