'It may be that some species will have to be moved to refuge areas if we want to safeguard their survival as many of them are not strong fliers so they cannot disperse easily through the mountains.'

Lee Brown, Professor of Aquatic Science at the University of Leeds who co-led the research, said: 'Conservationists need to be thinking about how protected area designations must evolve to take into account the effects of climate change. In the future, these colder areas are also likely to be prioritised for skiing or tourism or the development of hydropower plants. Using glacier, landscape and biodiversity mapping data collected across the Alps, scientists from across Europe simulated how key invertebrate populations across the mountain range are likely to change between now and 2100 because of climate change.Īs the climate warms, the modelling predicted the invertebrate species would seek out colder conditions in the highest parts of the mountain range.

The invertebrates, which include stoneflies, midges and flatworms, play a key role in nutrient cycling and organic matter transfer to fish, amphibians, birds and mammals in the wider Alpine ecosystem. The research study - led jointly by the University of Leeds and University of Essex - calls on conservationists to consider new measures to protect aquatic biodiversity. Many of the species are likely to become restricted to cold habitats that will only persist higher in the mountains, and these areas are also likely to see pressures from the skiing and tourism industries or from the development of hydroelectric plants.

Rules for vanishing