Scientists at the University of York have been looking into the effects of climate change on rare tropical plants.
The study, published in the journal Ecography, focussed on the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and Kenya. A rich and diverse habitat, it hosts hundreds of species which are found nowhere else on Earth.
The research found that some species will react to climate change by moving upslope, while others will move downslope, driven by changes in seasonality and water availability.
It is believed this discrepancy could shed light on historical patterns of biodiversity – the variation of species in an ecosystem.
“We considered the possibility that plants might migrate rapidly to keep pace with 21st century climate change,” said Dr Phil Platts, from the University of York’s Environment Department.
“(Our findings) fit with the idea that similar processes in the past underlie the patterns of biodiversity and endemism (organisms unique to a certain region) that we observe today.”
Future work will rely on larger-scale climate models to investigate the effects on different species.
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