Fundamentals towards Understanding Global Vegetation

Abstract

The introductory chapter provides the basic knowledge needed in order to understand the conditions under which the present zonal, azonal and anthropogenic vegetation on Earth has developed. This includes, among other things, an introduction to the evolution of vascular plants, their geographical distribution on the continents (“phytoregions”) and the main features of phytodiversity. In addition, the components of the macroclimate that are decisive for zonal vegetation types, their graphic representation (“climate diagrams”), the terminology and ecological properties of zonal and azonal soils, and the ecozones fundamental to the book are explained. A considerable part of the chapter is devoted to the derivation and definition of the plant formations of the world on the basis of physiognomic plant functional types (pPFTs). Finally, the principles according to which the vegetation of the high mountains of the Earth is subdivided as well as the properties of azonal and anthropogenic vegetation are presented. The boxes accompanying the text contain additional information on various topics, e.g. the origin of grasslands, phylogenetic evolution and quantum evolution, the origin and geographical distribution of the genus Nothofagus, and leaf functional traits and their ecological significance.