‘It is an important sign’

In a March study reported on by El País, researchers found that hundreds of Mesoamerican plant species have been climbing mountains for decades. Rising global temperatures are the culprit.

What’s happening?

Using satellite imagery and data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, researchers concluded that 36% of all plants in Mesoamerican cloud forests are shifting upward. They’ve moved around 2 meters annually since 1979.

As the planet warms and deforestation encroaches on their territory, these plants find their altitudes are no longer suitable. “It is an important sign that the ecological impacts of this crisis are more complex than we think,” Santiago Ramírez, who led the study, told El País.

He noted that this could throw the ecosystem completely out of whack, calling it a “disintegration of the forest.” 

Why does plant movement in cloud forests matter?

Science News reported that cloud forests are home to 15% of Earth’s bird, mammal, amphibian, and tree fern species, making them the most biodiverse ecosystems. A forest in disarray could quickly lead to species in decline.

This loss of biodiversity could spell disaster for humans, too. Sybil Gotsch, a forest ecophysiologist, told Science News that cloud forests release stored water into streams during dry seasons. Without them, local farmers’ crop yields could plummet. This would not only make a dent in their livelihoods, but could hurt local economies as well, driving up prices of newly scarce food. 

What’s being done about it?

Since this specific study is still recent, not much. However, scientists have been stressing the ecological importance of rainforests for years.

Though protecting cloud forests requires political change on a large scale, you can take action on an individual level. Try donating to climate causes or reducing your pollution output through efficient driving. 

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