Articles | Volume 22, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-5665-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-5665-2025
Research article
 | 
20 Oct 2025
Research article |  | 20 Oct 2025

Geographic patterns of upward shifts in treeline vegetation across western North America, 1984–2017

Joanna L. Corimanya, Daniel Jiménez-García, Xingong Li, and A. Townsend Peterson

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Cited articles

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Treelines – the highest elevations where trees can grow – are shifting upward as the climate warms. Using nearly 40 years of satellite imagery, we analyzed treeline movement across 115 high mountain peaks from Canada to Central America. We found that treeline shifts are not uniform and are most pronounced in tropical regions, where few studies have been conducted. These results highlight the need for more research in these areas to better understand how climate change reshapes mountain ecosystems.
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