In Swedish Mountains, Treelines Rise 200 Meters; Oak, Elm, Alder Growing For 1st Time In 8,000 Years

Our mountains are growing greener. At the border between woods and bare mountain, trees that require warm temperatures, such as oak, elm, maple, and black alder, have become established for the first time in 8,000 years. This is shown in current studies led by Leif Kullman, professor of physical geography at Umea University in Sweden.

Over the last century, the temperature has risen by more than one degree. The cooling trend over several thousand years is broken, and this has triggered changes in flora, fauna, and landscapes. In important respects, the present state is similar to what occurred directly after the latest ice age.

'Most noticeable, alongside the melting of glaciers, is an elevating of the timberline by 200 metres. Bare alpine areas are shrinking, and typical Nordic mountain birch forests are losing ground to spruce and pine, which are more competitive in a warmer and drier climate,' says Leif Kullman. The alpine landscape is becoming generally greener and more inviting. Many mountain plants have produced profuse blossoms as well as prodigious amounts of seeds and fruits in the last few years. Plants that were previously limited to the borderline between woods and bare mountain are now rapidly climbing alpine slopes.

'The changes are so rapid that plants like fireweed (rose bay) and rowan have even taken root in the gravel up on melting glaciers. Even wood anemones are appearing higher up the mountain,' says Leif Kullman. The alpine flora and biodiversity are thus burgeoning dramatically. More and more plants are migrating to the high mountains since the warmer climate is conducive to them, including contorta pine and cembra pine, which are not native to Scandinavia. The distribution of the mountain landscape's various plant communities is in flux. Certain plants, such as mosses and low-growing herbs, are adapted to a short growing period after the snow melts. As the snow thaws earlier and earlier, these plants have been replaced by brush and grass heaths, which has lent the mountain slopes a steppe-like appearance. Mountain fens are drying up, which means that sedge and grass vegetation is growing denser, new species are migrating in, and in some places glorious alpine meadows are appearing. At the highest elevations, formerly the domain of sterile gravel and boulders, fens are occurring.

EDIT

http://www.sciencecentric.com/news/08051528.htm

Thanks for this. As the grandson of Swedish immigrants, I was drawn to this post - but found it compelling on its merits. Thanks. We are running out of time.

Gratuitous photo follows.

thank god my dad`s side of the family did`t eat that stuff...

Mom soaked the lutefisk in the bathtub every Christmas, and my two uncles just loved to come over to have it heaped on boiled potatoes with cream sauce (I actually liked the cream sauce).

That was in the 70s. Back in the 60s, Grandma - the Matriarch of the family, you bet ya sure - was also there.

Those are such great, great memories. Couldn't stand the stuff, but I love pickled herring on rye crisp with a beer. Yum.

Swedish "sild" and not that awful herring in wine sauce we have in the grocery here (in the kosher section - blech).

Do you like Sildsalat?

of a shirtless, very sweaty-looking Santa Claus, walking through green woods dragging a sack of toys (and his hat and shirt).

I can't read Swedish, but I think we know what it was about.