Alpine Treeline Ecotones under Global Change

Alpine treeline ecotones are vegetation transitions strongly controlled by climate and, in many mountains, also by land-use practices. As they delineate two major mountain ecosystems, it is important to understand how they function and may respond to climate change. In spite of significant scientific progress, many questions about alpine treelines are still open, including: Why do climatic treelines exist? How will tree growth and population processes respond to climatic change? How does land-use (change) affect treeline-ecotone vegetation dynamics? And what are the implications for mountain conservation, restoration and management strategies? This session focuses on the mechanisms, patterns and consequences of alpine treeline ecotone dynamics. We welcome research from all disciplines, addressing questions on treeline ecophysiology, ecology, history, spatial patterns, soil processes, and human dimensions, using diverse approaches, including experiments, monitoring, modelling, remote sensing, palaeoecology, dendroecology, and comparative analyses.