Short-Term Significant Response to Climate Change: Treeline Shift and Critical Bare Land Contraction in the Western Taurus Mountains

Global climate change, characterized by rising temperatures and a reduction in the duration of snow cover, is shifting favorable growth conditions for plant species to higher elevations, consequently inducing an upward migration of the treeline. This study focused on determining the short-term elevational change of the treeline in high-altitude regions. The study area selected was a region in the Western Taurus Mountains above 1,000 meters, characterized by minimal anthropogenic disturbance. Multi-temporal satellite imagery from the years 2004, 2014, and 2024, combined with the NDVI spectral index, was utilized to analyze the changes in forest cover and the spatial dynamics of the treeline.The results confirm a significant altitudinal shift of the treeline between the periods examined, consistent with existing literature. Specifically, the treeline experienced an upward displacement of approximately 24 meters over the 20-year period, which can be associated with changes in climatic components, resulting in an average annual increase of 1.17 m/year. Furthermore, bareland areas, which are critical habitats for high-altitude adapted herbaceous species, particularly endemic flora, showed a tendency towards contraction during this process.The findings demonstrate the high sensitivity of high-altitude ecosystems to climatic variations, even over the short term, and illustrate the spatial changes in land cover. This research provides a holistic and practical methodology for monitoring rapid changes in high-mountain ecosystems and offers results that will serve as a foundation for future ecosystem monitoring studies.