Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Goodeniaceae), kukui (
Aleurites moluccana
, Euphorbiaceae)
and milo (
Thespesia populnea
, Malvaceae). These and other
medicinal plant species of the area grow relatively fast, have
high reproduction rates and are typically resistant to salt water
and wind, making them more resilient to some of the predicted
effects of global climate change.
Similarly medicinal plants of the Mediterranean islands
do not appear to be under any considerable threat from con-
ditions of climate change. According to de Montmollin, most
wild collected MAPs, such as thyme (
Thymus
spp, Lamiaceae)
and rosemary (
Rosmarinus
spp, Lamiaceae), are rather wide-
spread and located at lower altitudes, making them less vul-
nerable to climate change than plants with narrower ecological
requirements.
Rainforest ecosystems are also considered to be particularly
threatened by climate change. Climate modelling studies have
indicated that these regions are likely to become warmer and
drier, with a substantial decrease in precipitation over much of
the Amazon.
There is not much, if any, published evidence on MAPs
that could be at risk in the rainforest from climate change, and
experts are unable to comment on specific MAPs that may
be vulnerable to climate change in rainforests. However, the
expected loss of general biodiversity in the Amazon, as noted
in the IPCC report, indicates the potential to lose both known
and undiscovered MAP species.
Wide spread
effects of
climate change
on medicinal
and aromatic
plants
Some effects of climate change appear to be impacting plants
worldwide. For instance, evidence has shown that climate
change has been affecting vegetation patterns such as phe-
nology (the timing of life cycle events in plants and animals,
especially in relation to climate) and distribution. Some wild
plants, including MAPs, have begun to flower earlier and shift
their ranges in response to changing temperatures and weather
patterns. Shifting phenologies and ranges may seem of little
importance at first glance, but they have the potential to cause
great challenges to species' survival. They further serve as
harbingers of future environmental conditions from climate
change. Increased weather extremes are also predicted to
accompany climate change, and plant species' resilience in the
face of these weather events may also factor into their abilities
to adapt and survive.
Shifts in
phenology
The life cycles of plants correspond to seasonal cues, so shifts in
the timing of such cycles provide some of the most compelling
