How does glacier retreat threaten mountain biodiversity? Glaciers are retreating worldwide and are expected to disappear or decline by the end of century. The impacts of this ice loss on sea level ris

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How does glacier retreat threaten mountain biodiversity? Glaciers are retreating worldwide and are expected to disappear or decline by the end of century. The impacts of this ice loss on sea level rise and river flows are the focus of much attention. In contrast, the biodiversity impacts resulting from glacier retreat are poorly understood and existing evidence is compromised by direct human influences. Here, we focus on a globally unique setting with pristine biodiversity - Heard Island in the Sub Antarctic - a World Heritage listed Australian territory. We will assess and generalise the impacts of glacier retreat on biodiversity at Heard Island, helping to understand the future of indigenous mountain biodiversity worldwide, and securing the value of this unique asset for future Australians.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4101 - Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. Lead: Prof Andrew Mackintosh