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As climate change pressures intensify around the world, mountain regions, rich in biodiversity, are facing unprecedented environmental challenges. A new study, published in Nature, opens a new chapter on this crucial issue, revealing the immense pressure mountain ecosystems are under due to global warming.

The study, “Climate Velocities and Species Tracking in Global Mountain Regions,” was conducted by an international team led by Sheng-Feng Shen, a research fellow of the Biodiversity Research Center at Academia Sinica in Taiwan. The team includes researchers from National Cheng Kung University, National Taiwan University, Harvard University in the US, and Université de Picardie Jules Verne in France. The research examines the complex relationship between the rate of isotherm shift and the biological responses in mountain regions across the globe.

The lack of long-term meteorological observation stations in mountain regions worldwide has long made quantifying climate change in these areas a major challenge. Using a thermodynamic principle, the study maps the vertical migration of isotherms with unprecedented precision. The results are alarming: in seventeen mountain ranges around the world, from the arid areas of Alaska-Yukon to the highlands of northern Sumatra, isotherms are rising at rates exceeding 11.67 meters per year——a rate far exceeding previous estimates and posing a significant threat to the unique species of these high-altitude ecological regions.

The study also highlights a significant difference between arid and humid mountain regions. In arid regions, the rate of surface warming is faster due to the lower moisture content in the air, which is a primary factor contributing to the higher climate velocities in mountainous areas. In contrast, in humid regions, the presence of moisture tends to moderate surface warming. However, the reduced temperature lapse rate caused by humidity means that a greater distance is required to reach the same temperature, thus accelerating the climate velocities in some mountains. This mechanism has generally been overlooked in the past.

This groundbreaking study is not only an academic exploration of climate dynamics, but also a clear call to action to develop corresponding measures for those areas most at risk from rapid climate change. The study provides the data needed to develop strategic interventions to mitigate the impacts on these biodiversity hotspots.

Given the multiple challenges posed by climate change, the findings of this study underscore the urgent need for proactive conservation efforts. The future of the world’s mountain ecosystems is potentially at risk, and depends on the collective efforts spurred by such groundbreaking research. In the pages of Nature, a blueprint for action awaits to guide the global community toward a more sustainable coexistence with our planet’s magnificent natural landscapes.