Mountain-climbing Trees

Global warming is leaving trees behind. Some two thirds of forest species in six French mountain ranges have moved at least 18.5 meters higher on the mountainsides per decade during the 20th century. Previous research has demonstrated that plants at the highest elevations on mountains and in the polar regions have shifted to adjust to global warming. The latest result marks the first confirmation that entire ecosystems in lower, more temperate regions are moving as well. The study is in the June 27 Science.

Global warming is projected to have immense effects on freshwater and wetland ecosystems, according to a report by a team of scientists led by a biologist from Colorado State University.

The climate change, which many researchers believe to be inevitable, could be devastating to trout, salmon and several species of aquatic plants and animals.

In a report titled “Aquatic Ecosystems and Global Climate Change,” researchers forecast substantial shifts in fish habitats, decreasing water quality and disappearing wetlands. According to the study, rivers, lakes and wetlands may be seriously affected by the predicted global warming trend.

In particular, cold-water fish such as trout and salmon are projected to suffer substantially and disappear from large areas of their current geographic range. Some species attempting to flee warmer waters by migrating north or to higher elevations may become extinct due to natural or man-made barriers blocking their routes.