Climate change is pushing Norwegian mountain plants uphill: study on plant movement and carbon storage

A new study from the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research shows that climate change is forcing mountain plants in Norway to move to higher elevations. The research found that interactions with neighboring plants matter more than warmer temperatures alone in determining how well these plants survive. Mountain soils store significant amounts of carbon, similar to tropical rainforests, making this ecosystem important for climate regulation. The RangeX project transplanted lowland plants into mountain areas to study how they adapt. Results suggest that high-elevation vegetation can resist incoming lowland plants to some extent, which is good news for mountain biodiversity. Understanding these dynamics helps predict which plant species will thrive and how to manage grasslands to buffer climate change impacts.