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Global Warming Resulting in 40pct Less Snowfall On Australia's Highest Snow Course

by Tanya Thomas on Aug 20 2009 8:31 AM

Thanks to global warming, scientists have determined that the average snow cover at Australia's highest altitude snow course (Spencer's Creek in the Snowy Mountains) has fallen by a significant 30-40 per cent over the last 50 years.

s a result, unlike skiers, specialized plants that have learnt to survive in the Australian highlands don't have the option of seeking out higher ground and may face extinction, Associate Professor Catherine Pickering of Griffith University, told www.news.com.au.

"Some of these plants are found only on the lee side of mountain ridges, where snow lies late into the summer months, long after snow in the surrounding landscape has melted," Professor Pickering said.

"We are about to lose two of our rarest plant communities, right before our eyes. We need to co-ordinate the ad hoc research that is happening on our limited snow country," she added.

The cost of man-made snow is also likely to increase, as more water and electricity are required.

Source-ANI
TAN


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