Disappearing glaciers are threatening rare alpine plants with extinction – The Conversation UK

High up on a mountain where winds are too fierce, temperatures too extreme and soils too poor for trees, some of the most unusual plants on Earth grow. In this harsh alpine zone where shade is scarce, species such as the houseleek have evolved to withstand the punishing ultraviolet radiation by being able to quickly repair their DNA.
Cushion plants, which resemble pin cushions dropped on the ground, grow so close to the soil that they effectively huddle for shelter from the sheer, drying winds…

Click here to view the original article.