Scientists Reveals the Consequences of Climate in the Alps

The Alpine area is particularly vulnerable to global warming. This European mountain range, like the Arctic, is growing greener.

Researchers from the University of Lausanne and the University of Basel have used satellite data to show that vegetation above the tree line has expanded in about 80% of the Alps, according to a study published in the journal Science.

Snow cover is also diminishing, but only marginally so far.

Climate change in the alps

(Photo : FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

In the Alps, melting glaciers have become a symbol of global warming.

The decrease in snow cover can now be seen from space, although it is far from the most significant shift.

Professor Sabine Rumpf of the University of Basel, Professor Grégoire Mariéthoz of the University of Lausanne, and Professor Antoine Guisan of the University of Lausanne have come to this conclusion.

The scientists used high-resolution geospatial data to study the change in snow cover and plant species from 1984 to 2021, collaborating with colleagues in the Netherlands and Finland.

More than 77% of the measured area had an increase in plant biomass above the tree line during this time.

According to Sabine Rumpf, principal author of the study and assistant professor at the University of Basel since February, "the size of the shift has turned out to be extremely huge in the Alps," as per Eurekalert.

Because plants are colonizing new places and vegetation is increasing denser and higher, the Alps are becoming greener.

Previous research has mostly focused on the impact of climate change on Alpine biodiversity and changes in plant distribution.

No one has ever done a detailed investigation of the variations in plant production in the Alps before.

The authors demonstrated that rising temperatures cause changes in precipitation and extended vegetative periods, which leads to an increase in plant biomass.

Also Read: Giant Marine Reptile Fossil Found Way Above the Swiss Alps

Snow cover

The persistence of snow on the ground for lengthy periods of time is one of the fundamental features of mountain scenery, as per CREA Mont-Blanc.

Snow cover duration patterns are closely tied to topographical characteristics such as height, aspect, and slope angle.

Snow, by its very nature, has a significant impact on local climatic circumstances, whether it's deciding the duration of the possible growing season, providing insulation from freezing temperatures, or supplying a vital source of water during the spring melt.

Temperatures in the European Alps have increased by 2°C (3.6°F) throughout the course of the twentieth century.

This increase is higher than the French average of +1.4°C (2.5°F) and doubles that of the northern hemisphere.

Since the 1980s, the pace of warming has climbed to 0.5°C (0.9°F) each decade, the fastest since the Industrial Revolution began.

In terms of temperature, 0.5°C corresponds to a change in height of around 100 meters (328 feet).

That indicated that species would have to travel 100 meters upslope in order to maintain the same temperature conditions.

Plants' local composition is altering as a result of climate change.

The team argued that the Alps are growing greener as plants colonize new land and the environment is becoming denser and higher in general.

As global warming continues, the Alps will continue to transform from snow-covered to green and bushy, creating a vicious spiral, according to the research team.

According to senior author Professor Sabine Rumpf of the University of Basel, greener mountains reflect less sunlight, causing additional warming and, as a result, further reduction of reflecting snow cover.

Related article: Pink Ice in the Alps: How Threatening to Glaciers Can It Be?