For Switzerland, an increase of 3.3 K in mean air temperature, corresponding to an altitudinal shift of 600 m, would reduce on average the area of the alpine vegetation belt by 63%, whereas the colline and montane vegetation belts would be reduced on average by only 20%. When shifting upwards in elevation, species and communities will not find equivalent surface areas with similar physiographic conditions. Dividing Switzerland into pixels of 25 m by 25 m, ca one third of all pixels will have a pendency greater than 40° instead of ca one fifth at present. This would negatively affect communities bound to low pendency, like snowbed communities, some types of swards, as well as alpine fens, mires and springs (from Theurillat 2001).