Plants take a hike as temperatures rise

February 10, 2009

By hammersmith

[Source: ScienceDaily] – Plants are flowering at higher elevations in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains as summer temperatures rise, according to new research from The University of Arizona in Tucson.

The flowering ranges of 93 plant species moved uphill during 1994 to 2003, compared to where the same species flowered the previous ten years. During the 20-year study period, summer temperatures in the region increased about 1.8 degree Fahrenheit (1 degree C.).

“For years, probably decades now, scientists have been trying to understand how species are going to respond to the anticipated global changes and global warming,” said Theresa Crimmins, research specialist for the UA’s Arid Lands Information Center and the network liaison for the National Phenology Network.

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