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Drought Affecting Kings Park and Botanic Garden
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Other Botanical Gardens
Ongoing drought conditions (including a lack of winter rain) have started to affect the collections of the Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth, Australia. Thirty year old sheoaks, banksias and eucalypts are succumbing to the dry conditions, causing losses in the range of ten to twelve percent of the collections (so far).
Drought Killing Western Australia's Biggest Tourist Attraction from the Sydney Morning Herald
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:38 AM
Climate Change and Gardening
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Plant Conservation , Plants in the Landscape
What will be impact of climate change on gardening? A New York Times article addresses both the good and the bad. The good: different plant choices due to warmer weather & a longer growing season and raising awareness about environmental issues. The bad: increased pests and new weedy invaders, a changing native flora (and for some US states, the potential extirpation of state flowers and trees), and all of the associated cultural and biological consequences.
Feeling Warmth, Subtropical Plants Move North via the New York Times
Gardener's Guide to Global Warming (US-based) from the US National Wildlife Federation
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:47 AM
Climate Change and Migration
Category(-ies): Climate Change
Along with human climate refugees, global warming is expected to prompt the movement of many plant populations as they struggle to survive under the new climatic regime. The role people may play in trying to reduce the number of extinctions is discussed in “When Worlds Collide”, an article by Douglas Fox for Conservation Magazine.
Thanks to Peter Wharton for suggesting this article.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:24 PM
Ice Caps Not The Only Thing Heating Up
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Plant Discoveries
A recent study from UC Irvine suggests that plants with frequent generational turnover (such as annual weeds) may be more resilient to the effects of global warming than slower-growing plants. The ability to evolve rapidly to keep up with climate change is cited as the reason.
Rapid evolutionary change may help annual plants cope with global warming better than long-living species via the University of California, Irvine
Profile for Dr. Arthur Weis of the Center for Evolutionary Genetics at UC Irvine
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 9:24 AM
Climate Change and Plant Extinctions
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Plant Conservation
Plants in some areas of the world are at extreme risk of extinction due to climate change. Those confined to small areas, such as islands or the South African fynbos, have no hope of colonizing new areas, since environmental conditions in nearby areas (where the plants could theoretically find a refuge) are either unsuitable or are too distant.
Climate Change Seen Pushing Plants to the Brink
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:41 PM
Wildfires and Climate Change
Category(-ies): Climate Change
“A new study led by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, implicates rising seasonal temperatures and the earlier arrival of spring conditions in connection with a dramatic increase of large wildfires in the western United States.”
Warming Climate Plays Large Role in Western U.S. Wildfires
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:18 AM | Comments (0)
Ripe for Change: Agriculture's Tipping Point
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Plants, Food and Medicine
“Conventional and sustainable agriculture have long debated the question: what kind of agriculture works best for both people and nature? Then suddenly, as in any good drama, while the forces of good and evil are having it out, something happens to raise the stakes. Now, lumbering onto center stage comes a real monster, global warming, and the conflict shifts from being about how we feed ourselves to whether we survive at all.”
Ripe for Change: Agriculture's Tipping Point, an essay from Claire Hope Cummings for World Watch Magazine
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 11:16 AM | Comments (0)
Global Dimming
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Snippets
“Each year less light reaches the surface of the Earth. No one is sure what's causing global dimming – or what it means for the future.”
Goodbye Sunshine from The Guardian.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:31 AM | Comments (2)
DeSmogBlog
Category(-ies): Climate Change
At a recent dinner party the topics of global climate change, species loss and sustainability came up again and again. The thing that perplexed everyone was, "Why is no one taking the issue seriously?" Evidence of global warming has been mounting steadily for years and the general consensus of the scientific community is that the climate is warming, due at least in part, to humans releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Many people, this author included, feel that the issues of climate change and species loss are the most important ones before us today. We are risking our future by not actively addressing the unsustainable nature of human activities on earth today.
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:01 PM | Comments (2)
Adapting Crops for Climate Change
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Plant Discoveries
UK researchers have uncovered a gene that may help in the development of crops able to cope with a changing climate. Responding to changing day length, the Ppd-H1 gene controls the timing of other genes that trigger flowering. Variations in the gene shift the bloom time of barley plants. Climate change is expected to produce drier hotter summers in Britain. The findings could be used by plant breeders to develop an earlier flowering barley that could survive summer droughts. Researchers expect to find similar genes in other crops.
Link:
Growing Crops To Cope With Climate Change from ScienceDailey
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:39 PM | Comments (0)
The Keeling Curve
Category(-ies): Climate Change
For decades it was hard for the late Charles David Keeling to secure government funding for his research on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Government agencies did not see the value of measuring the same thing every year. But Dr. Keeling continued his measurements and eventually produced the Keeling curve - a graph that charts the steady rise of the CO2 concentration in the Earth's atmosphere since the 1958. While the debate on global warming continues, the Keeling curve stands as clear empirical evidence that the atmosphere is changing.
Charles David Keeling passed away in June of this year at the age of 77.
Continue reading "The Keeling Curve"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
Longer Summers in the Alaskan Tundra
Category(-ies): Climate Change
Longer summers in the Alaskan tundra appear to be causing land surface changes that are warming the arctic. Since the 1960s spring thaw has arrived a few days earlier each decade and the first freeze has come later. A greening of the tundra has been noticed by residents and observed by researchers on the ground and from satellite data. Fewer days of snow cover and the movement of trees and shrubs northward allow the land to absorb more of the sun's energy.
Longer summers trap more of the sun's heat, melting permafrost, which can release ancient organic compounds that become greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Link: Land Surface Change on Alaska Tundra Creating Longer, Warmer Summers in Arctic from Newswise
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 10:41 AM
Things are not so Ducky in Arkansas in Recent Years
Category(-ies): Climate Change
People in Arkansas, like people in many areas, are not sure whether global warming is media hype or reality. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to make one wonder. And if things are warming up, are human activities causing it? The president of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation, David Carruth, has been looking over data from the National Wildlife Federation and he is concerned. Arkansas is known among duck hunters for the largest overwintering population of ducks in the country and Mr. Carruth is a duck hunter. It appears that warmer winters are causing the ducks to stop off in areas further north for the winter.
David Carruth was one of the global warming naysayers until he started looking at the science a year and a half ago. Along with the National Wildlife Federation, which recently released a booklet titled The Waterfowler’s Guide to Global Warming, he is trying to convince duckhunters to pressure the federal government to take the issue of global warming seriously.
As the evidence of climate change and the count of species mounts, it is not only the duck hunters who should be concerned. The current rate of species extinction is aproximately 10,000 times greater than it was before man settled the planet - a loss of over 17,000 species per year. If mankind does not take action to balance its activites with the natural systems of the world, much more than duck hunting may be at stake.
Link: No global warming? from the Arkansas Times
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:50 PM | Comments (0)
Testing Trees' Ability to Survive Future Air
Category(-ies): Climate Change
Scientists working on the Aspen Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) project in northern Wisconsin are spewing air pollutants into a test forest to determine the trees' ability to cope with the air contamination levels expected for the area fifty years from now. The US$ 8-million project has put billions of pounds of ozone and other pollutants into the air at the site since the projects inception in 1997. The air at the test site contains one and a half times the normal level of contaminants found in northern Wisconsin, about the same as a clear day in Los Angeles.
Continue reading "Testing Trees' Ability to Survive Future Air"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 10:36 AM | Comments (0)
Record Number of Deaths for West Coast Sea Birds this Year
Category(-ies): Climate Change
Along the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia animals dependent on the ocean for food are suffering. Surveys of salmon are showing a 20% to 30% drop in population compared with surveys conducted in recent years. Record numbers of dead seabirds are washing up on Pacific shores this year. No one is certain why this is happening, but scientists suspect that unusually warm water temperatures along the coast are affecting the food chain.
Continue reading "Record Number of Deaths for West Coast Sea Birds this Year"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 6:05 PM | Comments (0)
It’s Official — The Globe is Warming
Category(-ies): Climate Change
The mainstream paper, USA Today recently published an article titled The debate’s over: Globe is warming. This must certainly be a turning point in the debate on climate change. More and more groups see global warming as a real threat. Industry is stepping up to the plate with research dollars and influential religious leaders are calling for planning and action.
Continue reading "It’s Official — The Globe is Warming"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:00 PM | Comments (0)
Gardeners Investing in Cisterns to Make it Through the Dry Days
Category(-ies): Climate Change
The past winter resulted in the lowest snow-pack levels in Lower British Columbia on record and water supplies for the summer throughout the Pacific Northwest of N. America are tight. Although it has been raining lately, many gardeners here and in other areas will soon be faced with dry conditions and water restrictions. Home water management can help.
Continue reading "Gardeners Investing in Cisterns to Make it Through the Dry Days"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:19 PM | Comments (0)
Declining Snow Cover Fosters Large Ocean Plant Blooms
Category(-ies): Climate Change
A NASA funded study has found that declining winter snow in Southeast Asia and the Himalayan Mountains is creating weather changes in the Indian subcontinent and the Western Arabian Sea that promote large blooms of phytoplankton. A difference in air temperature and pressure systems generates monsoon winds that stir up the ocean water, creating prime conditions for the plants. Researcher, Joaquim Goes has observed a 350 percent increase in phytoplankton concentrations over the last seven years.
Continue reading "Declining Snow Cover Fosters Large Ocean Plant Blooms"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 8:15 PM
Human Impact on the Global Ecology
Category(-ies): Climate Change
David Suzuki and C.W. Nicol are two of the world's leading environmentalists. Well known for his ability to present tough issues in clear language, Suzuki has written over thirty books and produced award-winning documentaries. Nicol is well respected for his work on conservation issues in his home country, Japan. Reporter, Stephen Hesse recently interviewed the two at Earth Day Tokyo.
Continue reading "Human Impact on the Global Ecology"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:50 PM
Canada's Plan to Honour Kyoto Commitment
Category(-ies): Climate Change
Canada took the first step in honouring its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the release of its plan: Moving Forward on Climate Change: A Plan for Honouring our Kyoto Commitment. The plan sets forth programs and policies that will maintain Canada's economic competitiveness while incorporating climate change considerations. Measures in the plan should allow Canada to close its greenhouse gas emissions gap by 270 megatonnes by 2012.
Continue reading "Canada's Plan to Honour Kyoto Commitment"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 5:13 PM
Drylandscope
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Plants in the Landscape , Sources of Botanical News
Drylands encompass about 40% of the earth's land surface. The fragile ecosystems that have developed in these areas, characterized by low annual rainfall and low soil fertility, are particularly prone to degradation. For the people living in these regions sustainable land and water use policies are essential to survival.
Continue reading "Drylandscope"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:18 PM
Planning for a Drier Climate in the Okanagan
Category(-ies): Climate Change
The Okanagan Valley is one of the warmest and driest regions in Canada. Recent years have seen a drop in rainfall and warmer winter weather, resulting in reduced snow pack in the mountains. A recent report, Expanding the Dialogue on Climate Change and Water Management in the Okanagan Basin, prepared by Environment Canada researchers, studies the effects of climate change on the area.
Continue reading "Planning for a Drier Climate in the Okanagan"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:33 PM
Global Warming in the Pacific Northwest
Category(-ies): Climate Change
The signs of global warming are gradually appearing in the Northwest of North America. Measurements taken by University of Washington scientists, since the 1950's, show that glaciers are shrinking in the region, some by as much as a third of their water volume. Mild winters and hotter, drier summers have promoted a massive infestation of British Columbia's forests by the mountain pine beetle.
Continue reading "Global Warming in the Pacific Northwest"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 4:29 PM
Climate Change “Tipping Points”
Category(-ies): Climate Change
Climate scientists have identified twelve areas where global warming could bring about sudden catastrophic changes, which would have far reaching effects and may intensify climate change. John Schellnhuber, research director at the Tyndal Centre for Climate Change Research in Norwich, U.K. calls these hotspots, “tipping points”. At the EuroScience Forum in Stockholm, last year, Schellnhuber called for a global effort to research these tipping points and identify others.
Continue reading "Climate Change “Tipping Points”"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:50 PM
Fewer of the Sun's Rays Reaching the Earth's Surface
Category(-ies): Climate Change
English scientist, Gerry Stanhill, noticed an unusual drop in the amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth when he compared current sunlight levels to ones recorded in the 1950s. Recently researchers have confirmed his observations. The level of sunlight fell one to two percent each decade from the 1950s to the 1990s. Dr. Stanhill called this phenomenon “global dimming”.
Continue reading "Fewer of the Sun's Rays Reaching the Earth's Surface"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 3:34 PM
Sequencing the Genome of a Diatom
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Plant Discoveries
Beverley Green, professor emerita of UBC's Department of Botany speaks on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's nationally broadcast “The Science Show” about the importance of diatoms and the potential discoveries to be made from determining the genetic sequence of algae. “These diatoms gobble up more carbon dioxide than rain forests.”
Continue reading "Sequencing the Genome of a Diatom"
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:35 PM
Making Sense of Climate Change
Category(-ies): Climate Change
Media reports about climate change can be conflicting and confusing. Many stories follow the formula of providing claims of evidence for and against climate change, giving media consumers the impression that the issue is not yet settled.
Robson Fletcher, a student in UBC's School of Journalism, reviews why a majority consensus regarding the reality of climate change is underreported in The UBC Thunderbird.
Continue reading "Making Sense of Climate Change"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 1:41 PM
Climate Change Poses Threat to UK Orchards?
Category(-ies): Climate Change
From the BBC News Online.: In a presentation to the RHS Science Exchange, Dr. Simon Thornton-Wood, head of science at the Royal Horticultural Society, predicted that apples and other fruit that require winter chill may not thrive in the UK as the climate warms, and may be replaced by warmer climate crops such as peaches.
Continue reading "Climate Change Poses Threat to UK Orchards?"
Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 2:12 PM
Anecdotal Evidence of Climate Change
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Other Botanical Gardens , Plant Conservation
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has been operating a phenology project in some form for one hundred and fifty years. Trends from the study suggest that plants are flowering earlier than average in recent years.
Continue reading "Anecdotal Evidence of Climate Change"
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 12:49 AM
Global warming and species loss
Category(-ies): Climate Change , Plant Conservation
Published in Nature on January 8, 2004:
Feeling the heat - climate change and biodiversity loss
Continue reading "Global warming and species loss"
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 1:54 AM
