Launching the North American Alpine Plant Conservation Atlas

We are excited to launch the North American Alpine Plant Conservation Atlas this month. This new website brings together information about the taxonomy, ecology and conservation of alpine plants found in North America.

Warming in alpine regions over recent decades is outpacing the average global warming rate, making alpine plants particularly vulnerable to climate change. Because high-elevation species are adapted to low temperatures and deep snowpack, even small shifts in temperature can have major consequences on phenology, reproduction and survival. Given the threats, conservation action is desperately needed to safeguard our alpine treasures.

As part of the North American Botanic Gardens Strategy for Alpine Plant Conservation, Denver Botanic Gardens and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens scientists built a list of known and documented species of vascular plants that occur in alpine ecosystems of North America. Using this taxonomic checklist and other available data, researchers and land managers can gain a better understanding of what gaps exist in our knowledge of plants in the North American alpine. We can plan targeted vouchering and seed collection trips to ensure we have robust documentation of alpine plants throughout their range. The website pulls together information from across many sources that will ultimately help shape scientific efforts to conserve alpine habitats. The website was made possible by federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (MA-255890-OMS-24).

And the best part – the Atlas is publicly available for anyone to use! So check out the Atlas and learn something new about our very special high elevation plant friends.
 

This article was contributed by Scientific Data Manager Rick Levy; Seed Conservation Research Associate Alex Seglias; Assistant Manager, Plant Records Jen Toews; and Director of Research & Conservation Jennifer Neale.