Loss of biodiversity in the mountains particularly severe

Climate — Apr 13, 2011
alpMedia | Schaan, LI

A study carried out across Europe using new measurement methods has shown that climate change impacting particularly heavily on plants in mountain regions. The vastly different mountain ecosystems are being recorded on a very small and accurate scale using special computer models.

As a result the forecasts are more accurate. Previously such prediction models existed only on a much larger scale. The future is bleak for over 2,600 plant species. According to the topographic and climate models a large number of mountain species are set to lose more than 80% of their habitat by 2070-2100. Higher temperatures and lower precipitation are stated as the main causes.
Sources: www.umweltbundesamt.at/aktuell/presse (de), www.eu-umweltbuero.at/cgi-bin/neu/cont (de), http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j