Global Warming Shifts Plant Species Uphill in Brazil's Cerrado, Study Finds

By 2040, critical range losses and new ecological patterns emerge, highlighting the need for tailored conservation efforts.

Global warming is causing significant shifts in the geographical ranges of plant species in Brazil's Cerrado savanna, with many moving uphill to find suitable living conditions.
By 2040, about 150 plant species in the Cerrado are expected to face critical reductions, losing more than 70% of their range, while about half of all species will experience a net range loss.
Lowland areas may become local extinction hotspots as species unable to adapt to warmer conditions disappear, whereas highland areas will see new combinations of plant species.
The study, involving universities of Exeter and Campinas, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and Trinity College Dublin, emphasizes the urgent need for distinct conservation actions tailored to different ecological zones.
The loss of plant species range is compounded by the direct destruction of the Cerrado savanna, with about half already cleared for agriculture, further challenging species' ability to migrate.