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Climatic warming is more pronounced in arctic and alpine environments due to climate amplification by feedbacks related to snow cover, albedo and heat budgets. Some landscape features like glaciers and permafrost are climate-sensitive and already undergo large changes. In combination with the overall slow development of soil and vegetation, this renders the alpine environment especially sensitive to global change.
In addition to climate change, human land use is subject to large transformations. Pollution, introduction of alien species and touristic use further affect the alpine environment and lead to habitat changes.
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