By: Jessica Robertson
Climate change is responsible for
many environmental shifts that no one appreciates. With climate change still
desperately needing addressing, one recently recorded shift is something we can
all enjoy visually, but hopefully it skirts any negative effects on the
surrounding wildlife.
Scientists
who track flower blooming patterns within the meadows of the Rocky Mountains
have noticed a surprising pattern. As the climate changes, the season for
blooms has lengthened by more than an entire month. Thirty-nine years ago, when
records first began, the beautiful flowers would bloom beginning in late May
and flower until early September. The newest studies are showing the first
blooms in late April and the last blooms in late September.
No one
wants to complain about the extended presence of flowers, right? If that were
the only facet of the story, we could all be happy. However, since climate
change affects the millions of Rocky Mountain flowers with more complexity than
first understood, some flowers are responding in unexpected ways.
With the
changes, the flower combinations that bloom together are different than they
once were. It is expected that these shifts will affect the insects, birds, and
animals that rely on the changing plant life. Take, for example, the
hummingbird; every year, hummingbirds nest deliberately so that their eggs
hatch when the flowers are at their peak bloom, meaning plenty of nourishing
nectar for the growing baby birds. Now, with the blooming season spreading over
a longer period of time but the same number of total flowers, peak bloom holds
fewer flowers for hungry bugs and birds.
This
summer, the study will continue, finding valuable information on how these
changes do affect the wildlife. One researcher plans to study the hummingbird
population, particularly. Hopefully the findings will show we can appreciate
the extended presence of flowers and not need to worry about unbalance in this
ecosystem.
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