On the altitudes of von Humboldt

With climate changing, living organisms are on the move, shifting their geographical range, their latitudinal and altitudinal distribution. The rate of change can be tracked by monitoring individual species, communities, or entire ecosystems in the present, for instance, by annual field surveys or remote sensing by satellites. Alternatively, we may compare the present with the past to estimate the pace of change. The main obstacle to the latter strategy is, however, that good and precise historical data are hard to come by. However, there are some exceptions. In 1804, Prussian explorer and geoscientist Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) and his travel companion the French botanist Aime Bonpland (1773–1758) returned to Europe from a 5-y voyage in the Spanish colonies of South and Central America. The publication of their collections and observations would take almost 30 y, fill more than 30 thick volumes, and make von Humboldt one of the most celebrated scientists of his times. Already the … [↵][1]1Email: geir.hestmark{at}ibv.uio.no. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1