This book considers the alpine areas of Europe: ecosystems “lying at or above the ‘treeline’ ecotone”, which cover about 3% of Europe’s land area but contain about 20% of the continent’s higher plant species. The book is the principal outcome of the Alpine Biodiversity Network (ALPNET) sponsored by the European Science Foundation from 1998 to 2000 to synthesize available knowledge on alpine biodiversity. As discussed below, ALPNET has largely succeeded in this objective, and this book is truly a benchmark publication; one of the best in recent years in Springer’s Ecological Studies series (this is no 167).
