ABSTRACT
Altitudinal shifts of tropical plant species along the mountains due to climatic changes are known to have an insightful impact into their relevant biodiversity. Nevertheless, it is evident from recent studies that greater controversies arise in the extent (magnitude) and direction of the altitudinal shifts across different plant species covering massive regions. In addition to altitudinal shifts, unrestricted deforestation and cumulative emission of greenhouse gases are the major anthropogenic factors that are accountable for prompting a cascade of ecological inequities, thus affecting the earth’s intricate climatic deviations. Consequently, multiple climatic studies describe an escalation of extreme meteorological changes over the last few decades including several episodes of flood, drought, and heatwaves. The incidence of such intense climatic changes is expected to continue and to cause extreme alterations in many plant communities, thus consequently leading to massive deforestation of forests—which subsequently triggers immense loss of biodiversity in several parts of the world. Regardless of these unpredictable changes, our knowledge is very limited on climatic changes and altitudinal shifts that impact the ecophysiological responses of tropical plants like growth, survival, and distribution. Therefore, this chapter provides a comprehensive and unified perspective of the physiological, biochemical, and morphological changes of tropical plants that may further lead to compromised performance and survival caused by elevational shifts and altered climate changes like global warming, drought, and flood. We will also discuss the impact of other factors associated with the altitudinal shifts that affect the distribution of plant species. It is evident from this chapter that altitude and climate widely affect the ecophysiological response of tropical plants. This, in turn, imposes an urgent requirement for mathematical tools to take surveys of tropical plants at higher altitudes. Hence, with these statistical tools, it will be easy to predict future circumstances and their relevant consequences.
