Combining experimental, observational, and functional ecology approaches to generalize mountain ecosystem responses to climate change across gradients and scales

Climate change exposes mountain ecosystems to complex environmental changes, resulting from both direct and indirect effects of shifting trends, extremes, and seasonality in both temperature and precipitation. While mountain ecosystems share many features, they are situated across broad ranges of contexts, such as from tropical to arctic climatic zones, from oceanic to continental regions, and across complex landscapes. Responses also scale across levels of organisation, from individual organisms to populations, communities, and ecosystems. A key question is if and to what extent we can generalize understanding of the consequences of climate change for mountain ecosystems and their biodiversity and functioning across this variability in both climatic changes and contexts. In this talk, I will draw on a range of examples of experimental, observational, and functional ecology approaches at local, regional, and intercontinental scales that explore, in different ways,  mountain ecosystem responses and vulnerabilities to climate change. A key issue is how we can leverage the strengths of different research approaches and designs to further our understanding of climate change impacts on mountain ecosystems. Finally, I will discuss recent trends in leveraging networks and student active research for upscaling scientific efforts and filling societal knowledge needs about changing mountain ecosystems and their benefits to people.