@article{fdi:010076147,
  title = {{H}umboldt's {T}ableau {P}hysique revisited},
  author = {{M}oret, {P}. and {M}uriel, {P}. and {J}aramillo, {R}. and {D}angles, {O}livier},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{A}lexander von {H}umboldt's {T}ableau {P}hysique (1807) has been one of the most influential diagrams in the history of environmental sciences. {I}n particular, detailed observations of the altitudinal distribution of plant species in the equatorial {A}ndes, depicted on a cross-section of {M}t. {C}himborazo, allowed {H}umboldt to establish the concept of vegetation belt, thereby laying the foundations of biogeography. {S}urprisingly, {H}umboldt's original data have never been critically revisited, probably due to the difficulty of gathering and interpreting dispersed archives. {B}y unearthing and analyzing overlooked historical documents, we show that the top section of the {T}ableau {P}hysique, above the tree line, is an intuitive construct based on unverified and therefore partly false field data that {H}umboldt constantly tried to revise in subsequent publications. {T}his finding has implications for the documentation of climate change effects in the tropical {A}ndes. {W}e found that {H}umboldt's primary plant data above tree line were mostly collected on {M}t. {A}ntisana, not {C}himborazo, which allows a comparison with current records. {O}ur resurvey at {M}t. {A}ntisana revealed a 215- to 266-m altitudinal shift over 215 y. {T}his estimate is about twice lower than previous estimates for the region but is consistent with the 10- to 12-m/decade upslope range shift observed worldwide. {O}ur results show the cautious approach needed to interpret historical data and to use them as a resource for documenting environmental changes. {T}hey also profoundly renew our understanding of {H}umboldt's scientific thinking, methods, and modern relevance.},
  keywords = {{H}umboldt ; historical ecology ; global warming ; range shift ; tropical ; {A}ndes ; {EQUATEUR} ; {ANDES} ; {CHIMBORAZO} {VOLCAN} ; {COTOPAXI} {VOLCAN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}roceedings of the {N}ational {A}cademy of {S}ciences of the {U}nited {S}tates of {A}merica},
  volume = {116},
  numero = {26},
  pages = {12889--12894},
  ISSN = {0027-8424},
  year = {2019},
  DOI = {10.1073/pnas.1904585116},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010076147},
}