The impact of global heating on the Alps can be seen from space, with the snow-white mountains increasingly colonised by green plants.
Areas above the treeline in the Alps have increased in size. While retreating glaciers have symbolised the speed of global warming in the Alpine region, researchers describe the increases in plant biomass as an absolutely massive change.
Plants are colonising new areas and becoming taller as a result of rising temperatures and increased rain. Losses of less than 10% of snow cover above the treeline are still significant.
There is a man on a mission.
The scale of the change in the Alps has turned out to be huge according to the lead author of the paper.
The global average is heating up less than the mountain areas. The greening of the Alps is likely to have negative consequences, including a reduced albedo effect and habitat loss.
Many specialist Alpine plants, which are adapted to harsh conditions but not very competitive, could be threatened by more plants at high altitudes. These are crowded out by plants from lower altitudes as conditions get better.
The unique of the Alps is under a lot of stress.
The snow cover above the treeline has declined in almost 10% of the area, which excludes glaciers. This is still a worrying trend, according to the researchers.
The University of Lausanne's Prof.Antoine Guisan said that previous analyses of satellite data hadn't identified a trend. The resolution of the satellite images may not have been enough.
Although the high-resolution data doesn't detect changes in the depth of snow, ground-based measurements have shown a decrease in the past.
The scientists said that as larger areas of the Alps turned from white to green, a feedback loop was created that led to an increase in heating and snow melt.
The albedo effect is caused by warmer mountains reflecting less sunlight and thus leading to further warming.
Further melting of glaciers and the thaw of permafrost can be caused by heating.
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