How does the highly diverse Andean Forest respond to climate change?

Previous studies have shown that species are already migrating upwards from lowlands to highlands in the Andean mountains. However, we still know very little about how these changes in species composition could influence the functional structure of Andean communities. As part of her PhD, Johanna is presenting her work on the temporal changes in functional structure within the Andean Forest along an elevational gradient of 3000 m asl. using 10 years of census data from 9 1-ha permanent plots, as well as functional characterization. She has found that there is a directional change in functional composition along the elevational gradient. Andean communities are moving towards more conservative functional strategies, and this change is mainly caused by the increase in the minimum temperature over time. Increasing our understanding of how forests can be affected by climate change, and what the ecological mechanism behind forest responses are, will help us to better predict and manage them in the face of climate change.