Why Plants Are Confused by Climate Change

Plants are adapting to climate change, but the process is more intricate than initially thought. Scientists have been investigating how plants respond to rising temperatures, particularly in spring. They've developed a new metric called "phenological lag" to measure this response, which accounts for factors like insufficient winter cold, changes in daylight, and other environmental stresses.

Key Findings

• Data Analysis: Researchers analyzed data from nearly 1,000 plant species and over 1,500 responses.
• Delayed Flowering: Both experimental and native plants are flowering later, likely due to stress from warmer, drier conditions.
• Regional Differences: Plants in boreal regions respond less to warming compared to those in temperate regions. This is because the temperature increase required for growth, known as "forcing," is smaller in boreal areas. Additionally, plants need higher temperatures to break bud dormancy, affecting flowering times.

Unexpected Insights

• Minimal Impact of Altitude and Latitude: Changes in altitude, latitude, and average temperatures do not significantly affect when plants start growing in spring.
• Daylight and Rainfall: Long-term changes in daylight and rainfall also do not appear to influence plant growth timing.

Why It Matters

Understanding how plants respond to climate change helps predict shifts in plant communities and ecosystems. This knowledge is crucial for conservation efforts and anticipating future environmental changes.