Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was one of the most distinguished German scientists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His fame came chiefly from his extensive explorations in South America, and his eminence as a plant naturalist. He attempted to climb the inactive volcano, Chimborazo, in Ecuador, which was thought to be the highest mountain in the world at the time, and he reached an altitude of about 5543 m which was a record height for humans. During the climb, he had typical symptoms of acute mountain sickness which he correctly attributed to the low level of oxygen, and he was apparently the first person to make this connection. His ability as a naturalist enabled him to recognize the effect of high altitude on the distribution of plants, and by comparing his observations on Chimborazo with those in the European Alps and elsewhere, he inferred that the deleterious effects of high altitude were universal. During his return trip to Europe he called on President Thomas Jefferson in Washington where he was given a warm reception and discussed conservation issues. He then returned to Paris where he produced 29 volumes over a period of 31 years describing his travels. Here the effects of high altitude on the distribution of plants compared with animals is briefly reviewed. Following Humboldt's death in 1859, there was extensive coverage of his contributions, but curiously, his fame has diminished over the years, and inexplicably, he now has a much lower profile in North America.

中文翻译：

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亚历山大·冯·洪堡（Alexander von Humboldt，1769-1859年）：早期的高海拔探险家和著名的植物博物学家

亚历山大·冯·洪堡（Alexander von Humboldt，1769-1859年）是18世纪末至19世纪初最杰出的德国科学家之一。他的声望主要来自他在南美的广泛探索以及他作为植物博物学家的杰出地位。他试图攀登厄瓜多尔不活跃的火山Chimborazo，当时该火山被认为是世界上最高的山脉，他到达了约5543 m的海拔，这是人类的最高记录。在攀登过程中，他有典型的急性高山病症状，他将其正确地归因于氧气含量低，显然他是第一个建立这种联系的人。他作为博物学家的能力使他能够认识到高原对植物分布的影响，并通过比较他对钦博拉索（Chmborazo）和欧洲阿尔卑斯山及其他地区的观测结果，他推断，高空的有害影响是普遍的。在他返回欧洲的旅途中，他拜访了华盛顿的托马斯·杰斐逊总统，他受到热情接待并讨论了保护问题。然后，他回到巴黎，在31年的时间内描述了他的旅行，制作了29册。这里简要回顾了高海拔对动物分布的影响。洪堡于1859年去世后，他的贡献得到了广泛报道，但奇怪的是，这些年来，他的名声有所下降，并且莫名其妙的是，他现在在北美的知名度低得多。在他返回欧洲的旅途中，他拜访了华盛顿的托马斯·杰斐逊总统，他受到热情接待并讨论了保护问题。然后，他回到巴黎，在31年的时间内描述了他的旅行，制作了29册。这里简要回顾了高海拔对植物分布的影响（与动物相比）。洪堡于1859年去世后，他的贡献得到了广泛报道，但奇怪的是，这些年来，他的名声有所下降，并且莫名其妙的是，他现在在北美的知名度低得多。在他返回欧洲的旅途中，他拜访了华盛顿的托马斯·杰斐逊总统，他受到热情接待并讨论了保护问题。然后，他回到巴黎，在31年的时间内描述了他的旅行，制作了29册。这里简要回顾了高海拔对动物分布的影响。洪堡于1859年去世后，他的贡献得到了广泛报道，但奇怪的是，这些年来，他的名声有所下降，并且莫名其妙的是，他现在在北美的知名度低得多。