So far the usual was to see the vast majority of flowers sprout in spring. But in recent decades, according to countless studies from around the world, the flowering period has been brought forward. A study from the University of Cambridge, for example, has analyzed more than two and a half centuries of data on more than 400 different species from across the UK. The analysis has revealed that now the plants flower almost a month earlier compared to the last century. This phenomenon is already observed all over the world, although with different dates. In Spain and in all the Mediterranean countries, for example, it is estimated that the appearance of spring flowers has been brought forward by at least 10 to 15 days.
“We have seen from species that have flowered in the middle of winter to species that this spring have flowered much earlier than usual”
Miquel Ninyerola, biologist
One of the clearest examples to understand how far the flowering of trees has advanced we found it in tokyo city. This year, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has explained that the first cherry blossoms have sprouted on March 14. This supposes the Earliest date since records exist. According to historical records, around the year 1850 the so-called ‘sakura’ used to arrive between the second and third week of March. At this century, the average flowering date It’s getting closer to April 4th. In 2021, these flowers bloomed on March 26. This year, the 14th.”The cherry trees are blooming every time before“, emphasize the Japanese meteorologists.
Consequences for the ecosystem
But what is causing the plants to flower at the wrong time? “There are still many unknowns about the specific mechanisms that trigger this phenomenon, but broadly speaking, we know that It has to do with rising temperatures.“, explains Ninyerola. According to this expert, under normal conditions plants have a biological clock that tells them when to flower. This mechanism is based on the accumulation of proteins. Species keep their radar activated throughout the year and when they reach a certain concentration of proteins, flourish.”The general increase in temperatures is altering the life cycle of species“, wields the biologist.
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The ‘flower crisis’ not only affects the plants themselves. What worries experts the most is the “cascading effect” that it can cause on all the other species in the ecosystem that directly or indirectly depend on them. As Chris Wyver and Laura Reeves explain in ‘The Conversation’, one of the biggest concerns is ““miscoordination” (or the “time mismatch”) between flowers and pollinators. “Climate change increases the risk that plants flower too early for insects to pollinate them,” they explain. This, on the one hand, threatens reduce reproduction of plants (and consequently, of the hundreds of thousands of crops that depend on pollinators) and, on the other hand, endangers the survival of the insects themselves. “Early pollination could create a resource gap,” they warn.
“Climate change is altering dynamics that have been built for hundreds of thousands of years”
“Climate change is altering dynamics that have built over hundreds of thousands of years“, warns Ninyerola in an interview with EL PERIÓDICO. Last year, in the middle of October, Catalonia saw fruit trees and wild plants bloom at least five months ahead of schedule. What will happen now with these plants? Will they flourish with the same intensity this spring? Will they bear the same fruits as if they had not sprouted before their time? And what will happen to all the species that depend on them, including humans? years of studies to know the real scope of this phenomenon“, explains the biologist. For now, the flower crisis only shows the tip of the iceberg.