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Lonny_loss t1_j92gm5g wrote

Reply to comment by androbran in Plants are spreading up mountains faster than thought in North America by BlitzOrion

To be fair, that’s just how succession in forests works. Meadows don’t stay meadows forever.

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dumnezero t1_j92my6e wrote

Alpine meadows, natural ones, grow in places where it's hostile for trees. There are multiple stressors that are correlated with altitude.

Here's an intro article: https://www.encyclopedie-environnement.org/en/life/how-do-plants-cope-with-alpine-stress/

If you're thinking of semi-natural (man made) grasslands in mountainous areas, then, yes, the succession to trees is natural.

Mountains are hotspots of biodiversity. But the climate warming effect is known already: as the climate is warming, species are moving up the mountain, and it's not just plants. The mountain gets narrower towards the top, which leads to more crowding, and the species at the top already have nowhere to go.

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kingbao888 t1_j99obfk wrote

Yes, natural factors like altitude can also play a role in determining which plant species thrive in different areas.

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Lonny_loss t1_j93ozd6 wrote

It really just depends on the topography

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placeflacepleat t1_j94izgd wrote

It really doesn't though. Out here in the US pacific NW, timberline lodge on Mt hood is an example. You get to an elevation where it's simply too cold for trees to grow any further up. Obviously close to the lodge the flora are somewhat maintained, but the altitude and temp have kept it tree free since before white guys showed up. Succession simply can't happen, at least currently.

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harishahuja t1_j98q74g wrote

In some areas, the altitude and temperature are simply too extreme for trees to grow, but this is not the case everywhere.

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huangjiajia8 t1_j96vy35 wrote

Topography is certainly a factor, but climate change is still playing a major role in the rapid spread of plants up mountains.

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