Disappearing Glaciers Puts Alpine Plants at Risk of Extinction – SciTechDaily

Glacier buttercup, Ranunculus glacialis, in front of the Rutor glacier, Italy. Credit: G. Losapio and coauthors
Beyond the ski slopes, one of the most iconic symbols of the Alps are the alpine flowers. These plants are not only beautiful — they are also used in liqueurs and medicines, and they form the foundation of the local food chains. But a recent study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution shows that, although plant diversity may initially increase with glacier retreat, many of these species…

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