Climate change causes rapid collapse of a keystone shrub from insular Alpine ecosystems

A rapid collapse of the keystone shrub Spartocytisus supranubius, endemic to Teide National Park (Tenerife, Canary Islands), has been linked to climate change over a 32-year period. This study, using historical aerial images and image segmentation techniques, found that this species experienced a mean decline in coverage ranging from 28.7% to 41%, depending on data interpolation methods. The regression was negatively correlated with temperature and positively with precipitation, suggesting a possible collapse of the broom population. These findings warrant listing the species as vulnerable according to IUCN criteria, highlighting the severe impact of climate change on insular alpine ecosystems.

Cubas, J., Martín-Esquivel, J. L., Marrero-Gómez, M., Díaz, J. R. D., Rodríguez, F., & González-Mancebo, J. M. (2022). Climate change causes rapid collapse of a keystone shrub from insular Alpine ecosystems. Journal for Nature Conservation, 69, 126263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126263