The cyclical climatic changes during the Quaternary have led to the expansion and contraction of species’ geographical ranges. In the Pleistocene, many alpine species migrated into deglaciated areas or survived glacial conditions within refugia. During interglacial periods, topographic locations with persistent cold-air pooling and temperature inversions are prime refugia candidates, enabling species persistence and potentially driving speciation. Knowledge of the location of such refugia has important implications for climate change research. It influences our understanding of the spatial distribution of species through time, their patterns of genetic diversity, and potential dispersal rates in response to climate shifts. Understanding the roles of refugia through past climate changes on present-day species distributions enables us to make better predictions of the impacts of future changes.

This study investigates cold air-inversion refugia in the Victorian Alpine Bioregion, Australia. Preliminary findings show that subalpine grasslands maintain lower minimum temperatures due to persistent cold air pools compared to their alpine counterparts. We observed significant differences in species diversity between these habitats, with subalpine grasslands harbouring a greater abundance of rare species. Consequently, large subalpine basins may be important phylogeographical hotspots that have supported the persistence of endemic alpine species over time.

This research enhances our understanding of how microhabitats in mountainous regions support biodiversity and provides insights into the potential impacts of climate change on alpine and subalpine ecosystems. Identifying such refugia is crucial for conservation efforts, predicting future species distributions, and assessing extinction risks in a warming climate.