Recent climatic shifts, based on mild winters and more hot summers have released vegetation shifts all over the world. The book presents numerous case studies from Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Caucasus, Italy, Ireland, China, Japan, United Staes, Brazil and Chile. The authors analyse the resulting changes in compositions and structures of the forest vegetations, especially the process of Laurophyllisation.

Inhalt
Shaping the Mountain of Truth: an introduction to the Monte Verità.- Recent vegetation shifts in Switzerland.- Climatic influence on vegetation changes: a verification on regional scale of the Laurophyllisation.- Causes of shifts in vegetation in the past and present.- Vegetation shift and laurophyllisation: the possible role of fires.- Potential impacts of climate change on species richness in mountain forests - an ecological risk assessment.- Vegetation shifts in Central Europe.- An experimental study on the impact of winter temperature on the distribution of Euphorbia amygdaloides L. in Central Germany.- Lianisation and Therophytation as complementary processes of Laurophyllisation.- Evergreen broad-leaved vegetation in the Colchis (in German).- On the Colkhic vegetation.- Arealogical review of Colchic evergreen broad-leaved mesophyllous dendroflora species.- Vegetation and changing environment on Mt. Etna.- Laurophyllisation in Ireland - the case of Rhododendron ponticum.- The historical shift of evergreen broad-leaved forest in East China.- Evergreen broad-leaved forests in Japan and Eastern North America: vegetation shift under climatic warming.- Grassland - forest boundaries in Southern Brazil.- Laurophyllisation of deciduous Nothofagus-forests in Southern Chile.- Workshops.- Workshop I: Laurophyllisation in a global context (Global Change).- Workshop II: Research priorities in ecotonal areas from evergreen broad-leaved to deciduous forests in Europe.- Workshop III: Importance of laurophyllisation for Swiss forest policy.