Alpine Ecosystems Face Major Biodiversity Shifts Due to Climate Change

Alpine Ecosystems Face Major Biodiversity Shifts Due to Climate Change
by Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) Mar 22, 2024

Climate change is significantly altering the Alps' environment, manifesting in reduced snow cover and an upward shift of vegetation such as dwarf-shrubs. This twin phenomenon is disturbing the biodiversity and functionality of high mountain ecosystems, researchers from the University of Manchester report.

Mountainous regions globally are experiencing accelerated warming rates, leading to drastic decreases in snow cover and the elevation migration of vegetation, with profound impacts on alpine biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The University of Manchester team, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Innsbruck, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, observed these effects within a long-term field experiment in the European Alps. Their findings, funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council and published in Global Change Biology, highlight the disruption to the crucial seasonal dynamics of alpine ecosystems, particularly between plant and soil microbial communities.

Dr. Arthur Broadbent, the study's lead author, emphasized, "Our research sheds light on the critical timing of ecosystem functions and how climate change is throwing these out of balance. The rapid warming of high mountain areas serves as a warning signal for the impact of climate change on our planet."

This study demonstrates the intricacies of nutrient exchange between plants and soil microbes, a cycle vital for maintaining the alpine ecosystem's health. Snow cover traditionally insulates the soil during winter, enabling microbial activity and plant survival through harsh conditions. Predictions indicate an 80-90% reduction in snow cover across the European Alps by the century's end, alongside a significant advancement in snowmelt timing, threatening these essential ecological processes.

Prof. Michael Bahn from the University of Innsbruck and project collaborator remarked on the critical implications of diminishing snow cover for alpine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, underscoring the urgency of addressing these climate change effects.

The comprehensive study underlines the compounded challenges posed by climate change, disrupting below-ground ecological processes vital for plant growth in alpine settings. Prof. Richard Bardgett, Principal Investigator, warned of the potential enduring impacts on biodiversity and the functioning of these ecosystems, stressing the importance of understanding multifaceted climate change impacts on ecosystems.

Research Report:Climate change disrupts the seasonal coupling of plant and soil microbial nutrient cycling in an alpine ecosystem