The Alps are getting greener
A new Swiss study shows that mountain plants have an impressive spread in the European Alps. One could interpret this as positive. But the opposite is true.
A view of the Aletsch Glacier from the Horn of the Whites: As the glaciers melt, habitats are released for new mountain species.
Photo: Jean-Christophe Bout (Keystone)
As an alpine mountaineer, you hardly notice it, but space scouts see it clearly: Alpine regions are getting greener and greener. Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Lausanne determined this using satellite imagery. Vegetation growth increased above the tree line in the European Alps. It affects nearly 80 percent of the alpine region. Until now, the great melting of the glaciers has been the focus of the public’s attention. However, the new study, published Thursday in the popular science journal, shows that changes in the Alps due to climate change far exceed the decrease in glaciers.
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