One in five of Germany’s plant species threatened by climate change

Thaindian: A new study by scientists has indicated that one in five of Germany’’s plant species could lose parts of its current range, all due to threatening climate change. The study has been carried out by scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany, and the French Laboratoire d”Ecologie Alpine. Even moderate climate change and limited land use changes could have an adverse impact on flora, the researchers said.

Sven Pompe and his colleagues from UFZ evaluated the potential impact of climate change on the distribution of 845 European plant species, 550 of which are currently found in Germany. The research team, which included Franz Badeck from PIK, used climate and land use scenarios up to 2080 based on possible temperature increases of 2.2, 2.9 or 3.8 degrees Celsius. The impacts of climate change will result in local losses of flora.

The reduction in the ranges of plants is a general trend, although some central and southern European species move in which were not previously recorded in Germany. The impacts will vary locally, with the greatest reduction in species richness likely to take place in north-eastern and south-western Germany….

Chiemsee in Bavaria, shot by waterborough, who has generously released it into the public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Thank you, waterborough