Study links warming Alpine peaks to plant species loss
Sunday 6th September 2026 on 11:00 in
Switzerland
Rising temperatures have changed plant life on European mountain peaks, with some species moving higher while others adapted to the highest elevations are disappearing, SRF reports. The findings come from a study published in the journal Science.
“The data show a clear link between the extent of local temperature increases on individual peaks and species loss,” said Johannes Wessely of the University of Vienna, the study’s lead author.
The researchers analysed data from permanent monitoring plots on 62 European mountain peaks. The plots were surveyed four times between 2001 and 2022 through Gloria, a global monitoring network. The locations included the Schrankogel peak in Tyrol, as well as sites in Switzerland, the Pyrenees and the Georgian Caucasus.
Cold-loving species are disappearing
Until a few decades ago, many plants could not survive above the alpine tree line. According to the researchers, rapidly rising temperatures since the 1980s have weakened these cold limits and increased the number of species found on European peaks.
Alpine bluegrass and arnica have moved into higher areas, according to a 2018 study published in Nature. That study found true arnica on 14 peaks in 2018, at elevations of up to 3,293 metres, although it had previously been found on none of the peaks examined.
At the same time, the proportion of species not found during the next survey increased each time the mountain regions were examined. The species that disappeared were mainly adapted to cooler locations.
In the Alps, these include glacier buttercup, one-flowered chickweed and alpine whitlow-grass, according to project leader Stefan Dullinger.
The researchers said further investigation was needed to determine exactly which factors caused the local extinction of species specialised for the highest elevations. In addition to rising temperatures, these factors could include reduced water availability, shorter periods of snow cover and competition from new species that have reached the peaks in recent years.