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High mountain plants are disappearing in the mountains of Europe

European mountain peaks are increasingly populated by plant species as the climate warms, but high mountain species are disappearing.

An international study has studied plant communities over two decades on 62 mountain peaks in 16 mountainous regions of Europe. The results show that as a result of global warming, the distribution of different plant species is increasing in the mountains.

In high mountain areas with little plant diversity a few years ago, there are species at lower altitudes today. Despite the increase in diversity, the presence of species adapted to mountain peaks has decreased, since they cannot move higher.

“The decline in the abundance of high mountain species later led to the local extinction of some species.”

Losses are more pronounced in areas where there has been more warming, as well as in areas where there has been an increase in species that adapt better to the heat.

The authors point out that, in some cases, the decrease in the abundance of high mountain species later led to the local extinction of some species, so these observations can be used as warnings.