Abstract
<jats:p>Alpine ecosystems are facing unprecedented challenges mainly due to the interaction of anthropogenic and climatic factors. Among the various impacts of climate change, the gradual movement of vegetation zones upwards is one of the most significant, which ultimately results in a shift of the species present, changes in the timing of life cycles, and a decrease in the productivity of the ecosystem. The spread of heat-tolerant species, the extinction of mountain-top endemics, and plant invasions are some of the changes that are occurring. On the contrary, some species can survive the bad conditions through microclimatic buffering, which can be in conflict with the overall predictions. Furthermore, the application of global databases such as GLOBALP and deep learning for the monitoring of shrub lines and carbon fluxes in response to global warming are some of the ways through which new and more efficient technologies are coming about. The combination of rising temperatures, retreating glaciers, and the vertical movement of both heat-loving and invasive species, along with the impact of humans, is the situation that severely threatens the vegetation that is exclusive to these alpine areas. Human activities, including overgrazing, uncontrolled tourism, road expansion, and hydropower development, exacerbate ecosystem degradation by causing soil destabilization, habitat fragmentation, and decreased resilience in plant communities. Additional stressors such as soil nutrient depletion, erosion, and altered hydrological regimes further disrupt plant-soil interactions and hinder ecosystem functionality. These threaten the biodiversity of alpine vegetation and put the ecological services at risk, such as carbon sequestration, watershed management, and cultural significance for indigenous communities.</jats:p>