Study: spring in Swiss Alps starts earlier and earlier
The earlier appearance of buds is changing Alpine ecosystems and could affect biodiversity, Alpine farming and tourism.
Keystone-SDA
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Study: spring in Swiss Alps starts earlier and earlier
The warming climate is causing Alpine plants to sprout much earlier - on average six days earlier than 25 years ago - a Swiss study shows. This affects biodiversity, agriculture and the ecological balance.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Deutsch
de
Bergfrühling beginnt sechs Tage früher als vor 25 Jahren
Original
The reason for the change is the significant rise in temperatures in the Alps. After the disappearance of snow cover in spring, the ambient temperature is almost two degrees Celsius warmer than it was in 1998, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF said on Friday. A study by researcher and biologist Michael Zehnder, newly published in the Global Change Biology journal, examines this trend.
More
More
‘Greening’ of the Alps is visible from space
This content was published on
The impact of global warming in the Alps can be seen from space, with vegetation above the tree line having increased in almost 80% of the area.
This phenomenon also has consequences for the economy and society. Not only does it attract visitors to the mountains earlier, but Alpine farming could also start earlier in future.
Change in biodiversity
According to the study, biodiversity in the Alps will also change. Not all plants grow at the same time after the snow melts. The “internal clock” causes some to only sprout when the days have reached a certain length. Others need warmth above all, Zehnder explained.
More
More
Alpine species struggle to keep pace with climate crisis
This content was published on
In the Alps, plants, insects, birds and trees are adapting and moving upwards but not quick enough, new research shows.
Plants that primarily need warmth could displace those that follow the length of the day. “Climate change is reshaping the ecosystem in the mountains,” Zehnder concludes.
For his work, he used 40 weather stations of the Intercantonal Measurement and Information System (IMIS) at 1,700-2,700 metres altitude. These have an ultrasonic sensor that measures the snow depth. In summer, they also measure and record the height of the vegetation.
A special computer model then recognised whether there was snow or plants under the sensor. This enabled Zehnder to see when snow had disappeared and vegetation had started growing. For his study he analysed data from 1998 to 2023.
More
More
How climate change is threatening permafrost’s delicate balance
This content was published on
Permafrost is the hidden frozen “glue” – a layer formed by ice, rock and soil – that holds icy northern landscapes together.
We select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate them into English. A journalist then reviews the translation for clarity and accuracy before publication. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. The news stories we select have been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team from news agencies such as Bloomberg or Keystone.
Did you find this explanation helpful? Please fill out the short survey below to help us understand your needs.
External Content
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
This content was published on
The earth shook near Mürren in the Bernese Oberland on Monday afternoon with a magnitude of around 4.2 on the Richter scale.
Public transport in Geneva faces calls for overhaul
This content was published on
Public transport services in Greater Geneva must better meet needs. The associations Transports et environnement (ATE) and Rail Dauphiné Savoie Léman (ARDSL) have drawn up a review of the situation, calling in particular for the Leman Express timetable to be extended.
Swiss politician who shot at baby Jesus risks fine
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has brought charges against Zurich city parliamentarian Sanija Ameti for disturbing religious freedom. Ameti had shot at a picture of Jesus and Mary with an air pistol.
This content was published on
The French-Swiss artist Saype has created a new giant painting on the summit of the Grand Chamossaire above Villars-sur-Ollon VD. The 2500 square metre work depicts a boy with a rucksack on his shoulders.
This content was published on
According to "Schweizer Illustrierte", Swiss actor Carlos Leal is returning to Switzerland - after 15 years in Los Angeles. "It's become loud there, megalomaniacal and arrogant," he said in the online edition of the magazine.
This content was published on
A coin collector has filed a criminal complaint with the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland against Swissmint, the federal mint, for fraud in connection with the sale of the limited-edition 100-franc gold Vreneli.
Museum to open devoted to Swiss ski legend Vreni Schneider
This content was published on
Vreni Schneider is to have a museum in the centre of her home village of Elm. The legendary Swiss ski racer has numerous memorabilia at home, which she is now releasing and exhibiting.
This content was published on
A shooting range in Wittenbach, northeastern Switzerland, was broken into on Sunday night. The unknown perpetrators stole several antique weapons.
Euro 2025: most of crowd at Germany-France match were women
This content was published on
For the first time, the majority of the crowd at a football match in Basel's St. Jakob-Park – Saturday's European Championship quarterfinal – was female.
Pilots’ union seeks to end deal with SWISS over working conditions
This content was published on
The Aeropers pilots’ union is expected to end its collective labour agreement with SWISS, as it pushes for better working conditions for its members.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.