1992/11/01 by Bruno Messerli, Matthias Winiger · 1 citation
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #African Botany and Ecology Studies #Mediterranean and Iberian flora and fauna #Equator #Mediterranean climate #Climate change #Geography #Climatology #Physical geography #Environmental science #Geology #Oceanography #Latitude #Archaeology #Geodesy
paper · doi:10.2307/3673683
openalex publication_date 1992/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
During the last 20,000 years, the mountains of Africa between the Mediterranean and the equator have experienced significant climatic changes with important consequences for the vegetation and resource potential. At about 18,000 B. P. present altitudinal belts were depressed and the zonation of climate and vegetation was changed considerably. In the Holocene, higher temperatures led not only to more humid conditions but also to an uplifting of altitudinal belts and transformation of climatic and ecological zones and to increased natural resource potential. These changes in climate, vegetation, and altitudinal zonation are illustrated in a series of schematic diagrams. The cumulative effects of natural and anthropogenic processes and impacts within the last 2,000 years are also depicted. In particular, human impact on ecosystems formed under more favorable climatic conditions could result in irreversible degradation. The mountains of the subtropics and tropics very often have more advantageous ecological conditions than the surrounding lowlands. They are an important resource potential for the future, although they may be very sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic changes.