Vegetation and Species Diversity in Global Climate Change

A Review of IPCC Report

Abstract

Vegetation and species diversity in the IPCC, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is introduced and reviewed. Shifting vegetational zones towards the polar regions may induce great changes in floristic compositions even with physiognomical changes. Changes in floristic composition might be greater in the present cool-temperate and subarctic regions than warm-temperate and subtropical ones. Comparative studies between the present and past floras have revealed species decomposition within physiognomically comparable vegetations.