Introduction

Global climatic change and sustainable development are key words in the discussion of the future of the geosystems on Earth. Both concepts are extremely important for the future development of high mountain systems in which the high mountain environments or cryogenic belts, e.g., the landscapes above the timberline, are especially endangered. Unfortunately, our knowledge of these geosystems is very limited. It is, therefore, essential to define diagnostic landforms which are important as indicators for the geoecology of these systems and for monitoring possible climatic changes in mountain belts. This requires an extensive geomorphic knowledge of the landforms accepted as diagnostic. Otherwise the derived information may be confusing or wrong and of no help for monitoring climate changes or for establishing a more considered and sustainable use of these geosystems.