Mountain treelines are rising in response to the climate crisis. As per a study by scientists at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, 70% of mountain treelines had moved uphill between 2000 and 2010.
On average, treelines moved upwards by 1.2 metres (4ft) a year, with the shift being most significant in tropical regions, which saw an average increase in elevation of 3.1 metres a year.
The rate of change is accelerating in all areas, demonstrating that treelines are sensitive to changes to climate beyond human influence.
While rising temperatures will enhance growth above the level of the current treeline, which could expand the habitats of some forest species and remove more carbon from the atmosphere, upward movement of treelines reduces the area of tundra, which puts alpine species at risk of extinction and may affect water supply to areas that rely on it.
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