Soil erosion and vegetation succession in the alpine zone
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Alpine zones are characterized by harsh, extremely cold environmental conditions that have traditionally limited human access. However, increasing human activities in recent years have made these fragile landscapes vulnerable to soil erosion, topographic alterations, and vegetation degradation. Climate change poses an additional threat, causing glacier-induced floods, nutrient loss, and accelerated soil erosion. These pressures have led to significant ecological consequences, including biodiversity loss, disruption of soil–vegetation interactions, altered hydrological systems, and reduced carbon sequestration capacity. Damage to soil and vegetation undermines habitat stability and weakens ecosystem resilience, making alpine environments more susceptible to future disturbances. Due to the slow natural recovery rates in alpine regions, such degradation is often long-lasting or irreversible. Therefore, sustainable conservation strategies such as controlled grazing, restoration using native plant species, and effective protected area management are essential to mitigate these impacts.
Keywords
alpine ecosystems, soil erosion, vegetation succession, climate change, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem resilience
Document Type
Book Chapter
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
Biodiversity of Alpine Vegetation: Conservation, Challenges, Prospects, and Solutions
Publisher
IGI Global Scientific Publishing
School
School of Science
ISBN
[9798337367569, 9798337367576, 9798337367583]
Copyright
subscription content
Content Type
Metadata only
First Page
189
Last Page
218
Recommended Citation
Saleem, A., Javed, M. A., Afzal, A., & Ali, B. (2026). Soil erosion and vegetation succession in the alpine zone. In M. Khan (Ed.), Biodiversity of alpine vegetation: Conservation, challenges, prospects, and solutions (pp. 189–218). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-6756-9.ch008