RangeX seeks to better understand the processes and impacts of plants that are expanding their ranges following climate warming. They aim to disentangle the direct effects of climate and the indirect effects of changes in competitive interactions. This knowledge can be used as a basis for developing a policy regarding range-expanding plant species. They focus on mountain ecosystems as an ideal model system to address our research questions.
Read more about the project here
IN THE COMIC >
In The Wheat Code, Henrik Larsen, an ecologist in Sweden, studies barley fields overtaken by invasive grasses, warning of the dangers of shifting ecosystems. He uses this research to identify any invasive, range-expanding plant species in the wheat fields.
Mountains are of crucial conservation value, by serving as hotspots of biodiversity, refugia for biota threatened by climate warming, and as key global sources of water, food, and livelihoods. However, this ecosystem is experiencing above-average rates of warming and increasing pressures from invasive species and development. This makes mountains priority areas for sustainability research.
