Plant-pollinator communities in the Australian Alps

Abstract

Alpine and arctic environments experience extreme abiotic conditions, and thus are very vulnerable to climate change. Alpine habitats are highly restricted in Australia, representing around 0.09% of total land cover, with 15% exclusively alpine flora (Costin “et al.” 2000). These communities are characterised by short seasonal growth periods and snow-dependent vegetation. There is evidence that a reduction in snow cover and an increase in mean annual temperature are already having an effect in the Australian Alps (McGowan “et al.” 2018). Higher temperatures and increased fire frequency have been shown to increase the growth rate and recruitment of shrubs (Camac “et al.” 2017), allowing an upwards expansion of their range. Earlier melting of snow patches coincides with earlier flowering of some alpine plants (Green 2010), and mismatches with day length are predicted to affect the growth of late-snow constrained species (Venn and Morgan 2007).