In Situ Alpine Flora Phenotypic Plasticity in response to Acute and Prolonged Abiotic Stress

Global alpine ecosystems are overly sensitive to the increasing effects of climate change. The Australian Alps are some of shortest and most spatially restricted alpine regions in the world. Despite this, they maintain disproportionately large amounts of threatened (>400) and endemic (>25) species and hold extensive agricultural and economic value (worth approximately $9.6 billion). Alpine ecosystems are considered extremely vulnerable to climate change and exploring their responses to environmental stress provides an estimate for how these communities will respond and change through future climates.