Landsliding and Its Multiscale Influence on Mountainscapes

Landsliding is a complex process that modifies mountainscapes worldwide. Its severe and sometimes long-lasting negative effects contrast with the less-documented positive effects on ecosystems, raising numerous questions about the dual role of landsliding, the feedbacks between biotic and geomorphic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bioscience 2009-09, Vol.59 (8), p.685-698
Main Authors: Restrepo, Carla, Walker, Lawrence R, Shiels, Aaron B, Bussmann, Rainer, Claessens, Lieven, Fisch, Simey, Lozano, Pablo, Negi, Girish, Paolini, Leonardo, Poveda, Germán, Ramos-Scharrón, Carlos, Richter, Michael, Velázquez, Eduardo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
biotic and geomorphic processes
british-columbia
Climate
Climate change
conservation
Conservation (Concept)
disturbance
Earthquakes
Ecology
Ecosystem studies
Ecosystems
forest
Forest habitats
Forest soils
Freshwater ecosystems
Germany
Global climate
Influence
Land use
land-cover
Landslides
Mechanical properties
Mountain ecology
Mountain ecosystems
Mountains
new-zealand
Observations
OVERVIEW ARTICLES
Plants
puerto-rican landslides
recovery
Scientific Concepts
Sloping terrain
soil
Species
succession
Vegetation
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Summary:Landsliding is a complex process that modifies mountainscapes worldwide. Its severe and sometimes long-lasting negative effects contrast with the less-documented positive effects on ecosystems, raising numerous questions about the dual role of landsliding, the feedbacks between biotic and geomorphic processes, and, ultimately, the ecological and evolutionary responses of organisms. We present a conceptual model in which feedbacks between biotic and geomorphic processes, landslides, and ecosystem attributes are hypothesized to drive the dynamics of mountain ecosystems at multiple scales. This model is used to integrate and synthesize a rich, but fragmented, body of literature generated in different disciplines, and to highlight the need for profitable collaborations between biologists and geoscientists. Such efforts should help identify attributes that contribute to the resilience of mountain ecosystems, and also should help in conservation, restoration, and hazard assessment. Given the sensitivity of mountains to land-use and global climate change, these endeavors are both relevant and timely.
ISSN:0006-3568
1525-3244
DOI:10.1525/bio.2009.59.8.10