Climate change is an irrefutable reality that brings with it extreme and anomalous weather phenomena. This does not appeal only to episodes such as the pressing drought that has put Catalonia on alert. It also implies changes such as an advance in flowering, which has consequences that we should not overlook.
According to a study published in the journal The Royal Society Publishing, the unprecedented rise in global temperatures has caused plants in the United Kingdom to flower a month earlier than they should. Specifically, herbaceous species have seen the greatest advance, with an average of 32 days earlier. In the case of trees, they bloom 14 days earlier, while shrubs do so 10 days earlier. Although the study focused on the flora of the United Kingdom, it is a reality that affects globally.
The year 2023 was one of the warmest in Spain since records began, in fact presenting the second warmest autumn in history. Although there are those who are happy to go out in the middle of February with mild temperatures and radiant sun, the truth is that this general rise in temperatures is not cause for celebration.
Professor Ulf Büntgen, from the University of Cambridge, who led the aforementioned research, highlights in statements reported by The Guardian that earlier flowering times bring associated ecological risks. “When plants bloom too early, a late frost can kill them,” he warns.
It is not the only danger, but it also causes an “ecological imbalance” between the relationship between fauna and flora. This happens because the flowering of plants is not synchronized with the hibernation or migration of species of insects, birds and other animals. “That can lead species to collapse if they can’t adapt quickly enough,” he warns.
Researchers insist that if these climate extremes continue to increase, “biological, ecological and agricultural systems would be at unprecedented risk.” This puts food and the economy at risk, as farmers face that when trees bloom early, a late frost can kill the entire crop.
For its part, the National Environmental Education Foundation of the United States (NEEF) emphasizes that the advance in flowering times affects entire ecosystems, as the relationships between plants and pollinators are altered, while that increase pests.
Another consequence expressed by the NEEF is that the allergy season will arrive earlier, aggravating the symptoms of allergic people. Likewise, the thaws highlight a limited availability of water, since the snow in the mountains is a natural reserve that provides this valuable resource.
