Vegetation, climatic refugee in altitude
By Denis Delbecq • June 27th, 2008 in 11:52 · Category: Actuality
When you are too much warm, you search freshness. And well the plants of mountain, it is similar. Since the beginning of the XXth century, many plant kinds climbed up the slopes of the French chains of mountains, of 29 metres every ten years.
It is what concludes a team of French and Chilean scientists having studied a panel of 171 forested kinds of the Alps, from the north of the Pyrenees, of the Jura, of Vosges, of the Massive Exchange and of Corsican, between the sea level and 2600 metres in altitude. Two - thirds of noticed kinds climbed slopes up. Migrations are caused by the air dispersion of seeds, which find better conditions of development at higher altitude.
Five researchers carefully reviewed possible reasons of these migrations of altitude (modifications of the usage of lands by the human beings, variation of the contributions of nitrogen with altitude, concentration in carbon dioxide, presence of invasives kinds, etc.) to conclude finally that it is the climatic warming which is reason.
Other contribution of these jobs, there is not notable difference of behaviour between kinds, since they introduce similar physical characteristics. On the other hand, plants climb especially since they are adapted to high altitude, sign that in altitude, consequences of warming are more net.
Source: To Significant Upward Shift in Young plant Species Optimum Elevation During the 20th Century. By J. Lenoir, J.C. Gégout, P.A. Marquet, P. de Ruffray and H. Brisse. Science of June 27th, 2008
Picture: The peak of Frock, in the massif of Devoluy. © Science
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