Plants are moving at higher altitudes: the study broadens
Important results continue to come in from the research project run by the botanical gardens of Rovereto Civic Museum, in collaboration with the Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment at the University of Padua. Launched across the Natural Parks and Trentino Dolomites, the study enables a deeper understanding of how the climate crisis is affecting alpine flora. It is now set to be extended to the entire Dolomites World Heritage Site, thanks to funding from the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation.
New records have been documented on the peaks of Moiazza, Civetta and Pelmo
Giulia Tomasi and Alessio Bertolli have now analysed 30 peaks in the area. The video filmed on their ascent of Mount Moiazza features a description of the procedures employed, which require several hours of work, on top of the time required to climb and descend the peaks. Over the summer, the botanists focused on the Belluno Dolomites, climbing the peaks of Moiazza, Civetta and Pelmo. On the former, they noted a record high altitude for Campanula morettiana (2,684 m), while on the peak of mount Civetta they recorded the highest documented example of Saxifraga facchinii (3,215 m). On mount Pelmo, one of the most significant records was set by Paederota bonarota (3,043 m, a full 235 m above the previous record altitude).
The data collected is still being processed, but we asked Alessio Bertolli to give us a preview of some key findings: “We found 70 species of vascular plants in the highest 200 m altitude bracket” noted Alessio, “including 14 species endemic to the Alps, and other species that have also surprised us. There were 22 absolute records compared to the data available from the same Mountain Flora (Flora di Vetta) project (2022-2023), the Trentino Flora project (Flora del Trentin, Prosser et al., 2019) and altitude records for endemic Alpine species (Bertolli et al., in prep.), and eight of these were endemic Alpine species.”
A snapshot of the climate crisis
The increasing altitude range of numerous species is one of the most significant indicators of the effects of rising temperatures driven by climate change. Publication and sharing of these results is therefore an important process, enabled with the financial support of Euregio. “Species are rising in altitude by an average of 3-4 m per year” explained Alessio. “In the short-to-medium term, we will see the peaks of the Alps becoming far more verdant, and we need to consider that often the development of the soil is slower, meaning that various species will have an ever more limited altitude range.”
For further information about the Mountain Flora project, watch the video from this August.
This activity is part of the project “Capacity building. Strengthening the social and regional capital of the Dolomites World Heritage Site (WHS) for lasting and sustainable development of local communities”, established with the support of Fondo Comuni Confinanti.