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Climate Focus: The effects of climate change on the Alps are reflected in the atmosphere

Melting glaciers have become a symbol of climate change in the Alps. Now, the reduction of snow cover is already evident in the atmosphere but this is by no means a major change. This is the conclusion of a team of researchers led by Professor Sabine Rumpf of the University of Basel and Professor GrégoireMariéthoz and Professor Antoine Guisan of the University of Lausanne.

In collaboration with colleagues in the Netherlands and Finland, researchers are investigating changes in the cover of ice and vegetation using high-resolution satellite data from 1984 to 2021. During this time, the biomass of plants above the tree line increased by more than 77% of the marked area.  This “planting” item due to climate change is already well documented in the Arctic and is beginning to be discovered in the mountains.

Biomass of large plants in three quarters of the Alps

“The rate of change has changed dramatically in the Alps,” said Sabine Rumpf, lead author of the study and, since February, an assistant professor at the University of Basel. The Alps are lush and green because the vegetation takes over and the vegetation is usually dense and tall.

Previous research has focused on the impact of global warming on Alpine biodiversity and changes in plant species. To date, however, no one has performed such a comprehensive analysis of vegetation changes in the Alps. The authors point out that the increase in plant biomass is mainly due to changes in rainfall and longer vegetation periods due to higher temperatures.

“Alpine plants are accustomed to harsh conditions, but they are not very competitive,” Rumpf said. As natural conditions change, he says, these special species are losing their value and have failed: “So the unique biodiversity of the Alps is under tremendous pressure.”

There has been a slight reduction in snow cover

In contrast to vegetation, the width of the glacier above the tree line has changed slightly since 1984. To analyze, researchers have unearthed 1,700 feet [1,700 m] of regions, glaciers, and forests. In the remaining districts, they found that snow cover was significantly reduced by about 10% of the area. This may not seem like much, but researchers are determined to highlight that it is still a disturbing practice.

“Previous analysis of satellite data has not yet identified any such practice,” explains Antoine Guisan, one of the two senior authors of the study. “This may be because satellite imagery was inadequate or because the estimated times were too short.”

“For many years, ground-based estimates have shown a decrease in snowfall in the highlands,” adds GrégoireMariéthoz. “This decline has caused some areas to become less snowy.” Based on satellite data, it is possible to distinguish whether an area is covered by ice or not, but it does not allow you to draw conclusions about the depth of the ice.

As global warming continues, the Alps will change dramatically from white to green, creating a vicious circle: “The green mountains reflect less sunlight and as a result lead to more warming – and, in turn, further decline of the glacier cover,” Rumpf said. Warming also causes melting glaciers and melting of permafrost, which can lead to further erosion, rocks and mudflats. In addition, Rumpf emphasizes the important role of snow and ice in the Alps in providing drinking water and, not least, in recreation and tourism.

Global warming has a significant impact on the Alpine region. Like the Arctic, these mountains of Europe are green. Writing in the journal Science, researchers at the University of Lausanne and the University of Basel have now used satellite data to show that vegetation above the tree line has risen by about 80 percent in the Alps. Snow cover is also declining, though so far only slightly.

Source Journal Reference: Sabine B. Rumpf, Mathieu Gravey, Olivier Brönnimann, MiskaLuoto, Carmen Cianfrani, GregoireMariethoz, Antoine Guisan. From white to green: Snow cover loss and increased vegetation productivity in the European Alps. Science, 2022; 376 (6597): 1119 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn6697

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