Community change and species richness reductions in rapidly advancing tree lines

Aim Climate change is causing shifts in the range of species worldwide. In high-altitude areas forests are often observed to be shifting their upper limits to higher altitudes in response to warming temperatures. Although this phenomenon is well described, the possible consequences of this for the wider forest community have not been fully considered. In this study, we used epiphytic macro-lichens to investigate the impacts of tree line advance on associated organisms. We hypothesized that the rate of forest advance should influence the species richness and composition of associated communities. Location The Hehuanshan area, Central Mountain Range, Taiwan (24°08–090 N, 121°15 – 160 E).