Current:Home > ScamsReduced Snow Cover and Shifting Vegetation Are Disrupting Alpine Ecosystems, Study Finds -Elevate Capital Network
Reduced Snow Cover and Shifting Vegetation Are Disrupting Alpine Ecosystems, Study Finds
View
Date:2025-04-16 17:28:11
Reduced snow cover and vegetation shifts in the Alps, driven, to some degree, by climate change, are leading some mountain ecosystems to struggle to hold onto nutrients that feed vegetation, a new study shows.
The study, published in the journal Global Change Biology last month, shows that alpine ecosystems may have trouble retaining vital elements like nitrogen that are necessary for maintaining plant growth and biodiversity.
“It’s really added to the literature, arguing that it’s really important to understand the interaction among the different elements of an ecosystem and what the effects of climate change will be,” Olivier Dangles, author of the 2023 book Climate Change on Mountains, said of the study.
We’re hiring!
Please take a look at the new openings in our newsroom.
See jobsThe warming of alpine grasslands, which is occurring at double the global average rate, is causing significant disruptions in the ecosystem functions of plants and soils. This accelerated warming is leading to significant decreases in snow cover and promoting the swift upward migration of small shrubs like heather.
The cycle of nitrogen between plants and soil microbes across seasons is vital for retention of the element in alpine ecosystems.
“The seasonal aspect is really important in these mountains, and climate change can really disrupt those seasonal processes,” said Arthur Broadbent, a researcher at the University of Manchester and the lead author of the study. “That can throw the ecosystem a little bit out of whack, and potentially lead to not being able to retain crucial nutrients like nitrogen as well as it could before.”
To better understand how reduced snow cover and shrubs impact plant nitrogen intake, the team of researchers conducted a snow manipulation and shrub expansion experiment in an alpine grassland area in the Oetztal Alps in Tyrol, Austria.
Shrubs increased in abundance at the site from 2003 to 2015, and also shifted upward to higher elevations, likely in response to climate change. Warming temperatures drive mountain species higher as they attempt to remain in their comfort zone. The researchers manipulated the snow, manually removing it from 16 plots three times.
To understand the seasonal dynamics of the test site, the researchers sampled soil at four key seasonal timepoints for alpine ecosystems: in May after snow melt, when alpine plants start to grow and obtain a large amount of their annual supply of nitrogen; in July at peak plant growth; in September when plants start to deteriorate in falling temperatures; and in February at mid-snow season.
The effects in spring, specifically the period after snow melt, and in autumn, at the time of plant deterioration, were particularly pronounced as reduced snow cover and shrub expansion disrupted the seasonal coupling of plant and soil nitrogen cycling. In spring, there was a 70 percent decrease in uptake of nitrogen by plants. In autumn, there was an 82 percent decrease.
“People know all about flowering times of plants and the emergence of pollinators and how there has to be a close match between the emergence of the pollinator that pollinates a particular plant and when it flowers,” Broadbent said. “People might not be so aware that that also exists with plants and soil and that there’s these really important transitions between plant growth and soil microbes.”
During alpine winters, snow functions as a protective blanket, enabling soil microbes to accumulate nutrients in their biomass, which also helps plants to survive the harsh winter environment. With a constant layer of snow providing insulation at a steady temperature, both plants and microorganisms can remain dormant, protected from extreme temperature fluctuations in the Alps.
However, research shows that climate change could lead to an 80 to 90 percent reduction in snow cover in certain parts of the Alps by the end of the century.
During winter days in alpine ecosystems, blankets of snow insulate the ground and reflect sunlight and heat away from the land. Without the snow cover, the ground warms, leading to what Broadbent refers to as a ‘false spring,’ during which plants emerge from their dormancy. However, as night falls, the temperature plummets back to sub-zero levels. This sudden drop can be detrimental to both plants and microorganisms.
“This snow is also a reservoir. So something we may want to look into more in the future is what happens if this water reservoir disappears, and that water storage disappears,” Michael Bhan, head of the Innsbruck Doctoral College (IDC) of Alpine Biology and Global Change and a contributing author to the study, said.
Share this article
veryGood! (89)
Related
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Mother of Colorado supermarket gunman says he is ‘sick’ and denies knowing about plan
- Mother of Colorado supermarket gunman says he is ‘sick’ and denies knowing about plan
- America’s Got Talent Alum Emily Gold’s Family Shares Moving Tribute After Her Death
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Trimming your cat's nails doesn't have to be so scary: Follow this step-by-step guide
- Kentucky deputy killed in exchange of gunfire with suspect, sheriff says
- Brush fire leads to evacuations in a north-central Arizona town
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Cousins caps winning drive with TD pass to London as Falcons rally past Eagles 22-21
Ranking
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Olympic Gymnast Jordan Chiles Files Appeal Over Bronze Medal Ruling
- A woman found dead in 1991 in an Illinois cornfield is identified as being from the Chicago area
- North Carolina’s coast has been deluged by the fifth historic flood in 25 years
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- 'Golden Bachelorette' Joan Vassos ready to find TV prince: 'You have to kiss some frogs'
- 90 Day Fiancé’s Big Ed Brown Engaged to Porscha Raemond 24 Hours After Meeting at Fan Event
- Ex-BBC anchor Huw Edwards receives suspended sentence for indecent child images
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
Justin Timberlake Shares Tour Update After Reaching Deal in DWI Case
Aubrey O' Day Speaks Out on Vindication After Sean Diddy Combs' Arrest
23andMe agrees to $30 million settlement over data breach that affected 6.9 million users
Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
Court appeal, clemency petition seek to halt execution of Missouri man who claims innocence
Emily Gold, teen dancer on 'America's Got Talent,' dead at 17
Election officials prepare for threats with panic buttons, bulletproof glass