Researchers from the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado have found that a 29-year study that simulated higher average temperatures in 1991 has resulted in significant changes in the ecosystem. The study, which began in 1991, found that the high temperatures severely affected the ecosystem, causing soil surfaces to become 20% drier, the prevalence of hardy shrubs to rise by 150%, and some of Colorado's prized wildflowers to die. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research could potentially impact the future of biodiversity in the Alpine grasslands, which maintain 50% of continent's plant life on just 3% of their land.