Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Interpretation of the ‘Massenerhebung’ Effect on Tropical Mountains

Nature volume 229, pages 44–45 (1971)Cite this article

Abstract

THREE types of rain forest can generally be recognized on wet tropical mountains: lowland rain forest, lower Montane rain forest and upper Montane rain forest1–3. These forest types can be defined both by distinctive plant associations1 and by the altitudinal limits within which they lie. These limits, however, vary with the type of mountain. On small, isolated mountains and outlying ridges of major ranges, the upper limit of lowland rain forest is about 700–900 m and that of the lower Montane rain forest about 1,200–1,600 m, whereas on the main ridges of major ranges the limits are higher, approximately 1,200–1,500 m and 1,800–2,300 m, respectively4. This phenomenon is known as the ‘Massenerhebung’ effect.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Richards, P. W., The Tropical Rain Forest (Cambridge Univ. 1952).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Grubb, P. J., Lloyd, J. R., Pennington, T. D., and Whitmore, T. C., J. Ecol., 51, 567 (1963).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Wyatt-Smith, J., Malay. Forest Rec., 23 (1963).

  4. Grubb, P. J., and Whitmore, T. C., J. Ecol., 54, 303 (1966).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Baynton, H. W., J. Arnold Arbor., 49, 419 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Wadsworth, F., and Bonnet, J. A., Caribb. Forester, 12, 67 (1951).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Denisov, I. A., Soviet Soil Sci., 6, 604 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Whitmore, T. C., and Burnham, C. P., Malay. Nat. J., 22, 98 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Jenny, H., Bingham, F., and Padilla-Saravia, B., Soil Sci., 66, 173 (1948).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Jenny, H., Gessel, S. P., and Bingham, T., Soil Sci., 68, 419 (1949).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Birch, H. F., and Friend, N. T., J. Soil Sci., 7, 156 (1956).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Pecrot, A., Pédologie, 9, 227 (1959).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Laudelout, H., Meyer, J., and Peeters, A., Agricultura, 8, 103 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Yoda, K., and Kira, T., Nature and Life in S.E. Asia, 6, 83 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Nye, P. H., and Greenland, D. J., Comm. Bur. Soils, Tech. Comm., 51, 1 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Sioli, H., Schwabe, G. H., and Klinge, H., Trop. Ecol., 10, 72 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Melin, E., Ecology, 11, 72 (1930).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Broadfoot, W. M., and Pierre, W. H., Soil Sci., 48, 329 (1939).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Beck, G., Dommergues, Y., and van den Driessche, R., Ecologia Pl., 4, 237 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Wang, C.-W., The Forests of China, Maria Moors Cabot Foundation Publication 15 (Cambridge, Mass., 1961).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ellenberg, H., Vegetation Mitteleuropas mit den Alpen (Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 1963).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Wallace, T., The Diagnosis of Mineral Deficiencies in Plants by Visual Symptoms, third ed. (HMSO, London, 1961).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Purseglove, J. W., Tropical Crops: Dicotyledons (Longmans, London, 1968).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Brunig, E. F., Erdkunde, 23, 127 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Beadle, N. C. W., Ecology, 34, 426 (1953).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Loveless, A. R., Ann. Bot., 25, 168 (1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Loveless, A. R., Ann. Bot., 26, 551 (1962).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Beadle, N. C. W., Ecology, 43, 281 (1962).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Beadle, N. C. W., Ecology, 47, 992 (1966).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Botany School, University of Cambridge,

    P. J. GRUBB

Authors
  1. P. J. GRUBB
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

GRUBB, P. Interpretation of the ‘Massenerhebung’ Effect on Tropical Mountains. Nature 229, 44–45 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/229044a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/229044a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing