Lu and colleagues studied how increasing temperatures affect the timing of different events of a plant’s life cycle, such as leaf production, flowering, and leaf colour changes. The study found that plants’ response to warming decreases over time, suggesting that plants might be more adaptable to climate change than previously thought.
The team analysed data from 103 warming experiments from around the world and looked for potential differences between different levels of warming and between herbaceous and woody species. They were particularly interested in assessing the effect of long-term exposure to increasing temperatures.
Overall, warming significantly advanced leaf-out and first flowering but delayed leaf colouring. Such responses, however, were less pronounced as experiments ran longer. As a result, plants might be more capable of adapting to long-term temperature changes than previously thought.
This research by Lu and colleagues supports previous studies showing that plants respond quickly to warming. Still, such responses may diminish over time, challenging the idea that plant timing will keep changing as warming continues. Therefore, the study paves the way for a more thorough analysis of plant responses to climate change and a better understanding of the effect of such changes on plant life.
Lu, C., van Groenigen, K.J., Gillespie, M.A.K., Hollister, R.D., Post, E., Cooper, E.J., Welker, J.M., Huang, Y., Min, X., Chen, J., … (2024). Diminishing warming effects on plant phenology over time. New Phytologist. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20019 ($)
