The precision, down to a tenth of a meter, calculated by the University of Grenada in their press release below is simply stunning. I wonder what the error bars are on 2.7 meters over seven years of the study? And, how does one filter out seasonal weather effects over such a short time span? Inquiring minds want to know.
Here’s the main points:
- Vascular plants have moved 2.7 m upwards, which might lead to the extinction of high-mountain species.
- While species diversity in summits of temperate-boreal regions has increased, it has declined in Mediterranean regions.
- Such are the results obtained from a study published in Science, where University of Granada researchers participated.
Researchers at the University of Granada Department of Botanic have participated in an international study that has confirmed that global warming is causing plants to migrate to higher altitudes. The study –recently published in Science– analyzed species diversity shifts in 66 summits of 17 European ranges between 2001 and 2008.
In the Iberian Peninsula, two target regions were selected in the Pyrenees (Ordesa) and Sierra Nevada (Granada). Researchers found that the species under study had migrated an average of 2.7m upwards. “This finding confirms the hypothesis that a rise in temperatures drives Alpine flora to migrate upwards. As a result, rival species are threatened by competitors, which are migrating to higher altitudes. These changes pose a threat to high-mountain ecosystems in the long and medium term” the authors state.
Boreal-Temperate and Mediterranean Summits
The study also reveals an average increase of 8% in the number of species growing in summits of European mountains. However, such increase is not general, as of the 66 peaks in boreal and temperate areas, the majority revealed an increase in species diversity, while 8 out of the 14 summits in the Mediterranean area revealed a decline in the number of species represented.
Furthermore, the study revealed that species diversity has changed more significantly at low elevation sites –at the upper limit of the forest or an equivalent altitude– in the Mediterranean region than in other regions.
In Mediterranean mountains (Sierra Nevada, Corsica, Central Apennines and Crete), the rise in temperatures is causing a decline in annual average rainfall, which results in longer summer droughts. Consequently, temperature rise and droughts pose a threat to unique endemic species.
The mountains that present the most significant shifts in species diversity are Mediterranean mountains –located in Southern Europe–, where climate is different to that of the rest of Europe. In general, moist-soil species are more vulnerable to climate change, though high-mountain endemic species are also affected.”For example, in Sierra Nevada, the observation plots revealed a decrease in the number of emblematic species such as Androsacevitalianasubsp. Nevadensis and Plantagonivalisy Artemisia granatensis”, the University of Granada professor, Joaquín Molero Mesa, explains.
Another Sampling Site
Sierra Nevada has very special characteristics, as it is the only mountain range in the Iberian Peninsula that has Mediterranean climate from top to the hill foot. Consequently, the research group coordinated by professor Molero Mesa –with the special collaboration of Mª Rosa Fernández Calzado– placed another sampling site (four summits located at an elevation above 2500m high) in 2005. The purpose was to increase the sample size and obtain more reliable results. In two years, a comparative study of the results obtained in the first and second study will be conducted.
Thus, Sierra Nevada is the only mountain range with two target regions under observation. The research group is coordinated with the Observatorio de Cambio Global de Sierra Nevada, and has established –in collaboration with a research group from Morocco– another target region in the high Western Atlas, where observation plots and thermometers will be installed next summer. The purpose of this action is to better understand climate and species variations in the most vulnerable environment: the Mediterranean region.
This study is part of the Project GLORIA (The Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments) initiated in Europe in 2000 and which has spread worldwide.
Recent Plant Diversity Changes on Europe’s Mountain Peaks. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.1219033
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I often wonder if the act of studying these plants doesn’t account for some of the changes, such as tracking seeds around in the mud on your shoes, etc.
The plant in the photo with the press release, Androsace vitaliana turns out it is easy to grow in your garden. So it follows that I’m not too worried about this news.
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Those poor species will be scurrying back down the mountain as temperatures decline in coming years!
This is outrageous. Something must be done immediately to stop this altitudinal violation of mother nature.
I just tried to validate the paper by performing a simple experiment. I squirted a bit of CO2 onto one of my roses and it ran straight up the fence and is sitting on the garage roof and it wont come down
So in the minds of the AGW advocates, azs one plant moves up the mountain, nothing but rock and stone will be left in its wake? Is it possible, that other plants will back fill and new ecosystems will be created..just as always happens in nature. Why is it these people think that the climate should never and has never before changed, and ecosystems are static and never changes? Maybe they should realize that about 90% of all plant/animal life which has existed, is now extinct.
“Vascular plants have moved 2.7 m upwards, which might lead to the extinction of high-mountain species.”
Possible Solutions:
1) add 2.7 m to the top of the mountain.
2) relocate the species to mountains further to the North.
3) transplant the species to refrigerated greenhouses. (run by windmills)
4) plant the species on the polar ice caps where the ice is melting.
/sarc/
EternalOptimist says:
Very good.
What’s the difference between a climate scientist and a hippy?
Lot’s of money.
Maybe CAGW is making birds fly 2.7m higher too since often those seeds are transported and spread by birds pooping them everywhere…
In the mean time, the mountains in our area never had so much snow cover for quite some time.
They must have rounded off. The report I saw shows 2.6940486860436363 Meters. [/snark]
( I’d really love to find their observation areas and sneak in week by week and replant the area slowly to a higher and higher altitude, then “suddenly” show the plants meters in the other direction one day when we had a couple of cool days of weather. ha ha)
“Vascular plants have moved 2.7 m upwards, which might lead to the extinction of high-mountain species.”
Yeah, and these high-mountain species were unable to move up these 2.7 m? If it is due to “global warming” then the temperature line for these high-mountain species would have gone also up for 2.7 m.
Perhaps the climate will stay mild for awhile and the plants will actually be able to climb back up to the still-extent tree remains left from the Holocene Climatic Optimum 4-6K years ago. The acclaimed and prolific [SNIP: I can’t tell if you were being ironic or not. Let’s not use that term. -REP] Craig Idso did considerable work documenting these higher timberlines from the HCO in the US.
“robmcn says:
What’s the difference between a climate scientist and a hippy?
Lot’s of money.”
YOU REALLY GOT THE POINT !
Oh noes! Cold weather in the 70’s caused Europe’s Mountain Plants to migrate downwards…science discovers they are recovering………
These studies remind of the parallels between econometrics and these dolts. Some countries figure their inflation indices to 3 decimals points, as if that meant anything. Meanwhile the ‘science’ behind the indices is so ridiculous as to make climate ‘science’ seem sound, as there’s no non arbitrary way to construct the measures to begin with. But still, people flip out over a .1 to .001 move this way or that in the stats. Makes you wonder about the sanity of most of the population, and if they’ve ever wondered or questioned what the hell that ‘change’ means in practical real world terms.
“Oh no, inflation went up .01% this quarter!”
“You do realize that the way they measure it is not only completely arbitrary, but the basket of goods and their nature and weights assigned to them have changed God knows how many times since the creation of the index?”
“But it’s UP .01%! I’m buying all the gold in the world!”.
Ok…I’m confused. Everything I’ve read says that we’ve been cooling for about 10-15yrs. Is it possible they went up the mountain in search of more sunlight/warmth? /snark off
Jim
I am stunned. Clearly this field of science has no academic foundations.
With the bankruptcy of Europe, hopefully these clowns find a more meaningful occupation. Waiting tables is not an unworthy occupation.
I know tree lines are mostly the result of cold temperatures, but lack of water plays a role as well.
As CO2 increases plants will need less water – and can thus grow at higher altitudes.
This study is buried in 2.7 meters of… uh… assumptions.
And of course, the stated connection to “global warming” wouldn’t have anything to do with funding.
I have seen this effect in my garden (UK), I now plant my tomatoes 2.7M (+/- 0.1M) higher in hanging baskets, rather than on the ground and they grow better
“androsace vitaliana” … genus should be capitalized!
This wasn`t published on April 1st by any chance ?
Here are yet more examples of extreme climate change: Between December & February in the Northern Hemisphere, the trees are bare, the skies often grey, the weather often cold & or wet. However, between March & May, the trees & plants show signs of rapid & unprecedented growth & leaf formation, the skies tend to be a little brighter & temperatures a tad warmer, more natural daylight is observed, more insects can be detected, birds tend to show great activity during daylight hours, more bird species are often observed. During the following three months of June, July, & August, the weather tends to be quite warm & sunny (UK excepted due to Wet Office forecasting or lack thereof), longer days & shorter nights, the trees display complete leaf formation, wildlife appear to show a bustling of activity! As a result of this dramatic period of warming, the foul stench of burning carbon often fills the air, especially at the weekends in the afternoons, but it has at times been observed in the evenings either in the week or at weekends. This causes odd behaviour in human beings, when they seem to consume copious amounts of strange fermented liquids, this makes them at times happy, amused at the smallest of things, (especially when one of them falls over or loses the motor function between brain & mouth, but it is understood that this is a temporary condition only & wears off after a few hours), they may become loud & noisy, & often, eventually drowsey. Some may even become as drowsey as a fart! It is believed that this is a direct result of the burnt carbon in the local atmosphere although there was uncertainty in this. (As a note of further uncertainty, the researchers had observed that the atmosphere is made up of a multitude of variations here & there, for instance Harry’s Wine Bar was alleged to have had a “Convivial Atmosphere all year round”, although this has yet to be confirmed by further research!) Then very slowly, during the months of September through to November the trees start to display a heavy weight of leaf, gradually turning amazing golds, reds, oranges, purples, the leaves then die & fall to the ground, bird/insect activity declines, some birds even fly off to the Southern Hemishpere, day light hours reduce dramatically, temperatures generally get lower. Then it goes back to the way it all started by December! Apparently it has been observed that similar things seem to happen in the Southern Hemisphere but the other way around. Experts say there is no natural explanation for this kind of activity, it is unprecedented! Therefore it must be Climate Change on an unimaginable scale. Experts have also observed dramatic rises in Sea Level that were equally unprecedented, four times a day the sea level rises & falls at varying rates of ebb & flow! None of this has apparently happened ever before, c1900, honest, it is unprecedented! Sarc Off! 🙂
DirkH says:
April 25, 2012 at 9:39 am
With the bankruptcy of Europe, hopefully these clowns find a more meaningful occupation. Waiting tables is not an unworthy occupation.
Especially now that there is 2.732517 m more space for cafes and bistros, vacated by the plants that moved on. Maybe this is the tipping point for the green economy….
Oh brother.
Last month we heard WUWT calling Nature a junk journal; this month’s flavor is Science. Talk about “shoot the messenger”.