On the Origin of Ecological Structure

摘要

Alexander von Humboldt attempted to reach the summit of Mount Chimborazo, the highest peak in the northern Andes. Bleeding, his beard caked with ice, the 33-year-old Humboldt worked his way along a 12-centimeter-wide ridge only to be blocked by a cliff some 400 meters from the top. Humboldt's barometer indicated 5878 meters-a climbing record unbeaten for decades and one that brought him international fame.