Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
evidence that global climate change is affecting species and
ecosystems. Available evidence indicates that spring emer-
gence has generally been occurring progressively earlier since
the 1960s. Such accelerated spring onset has generated notice-
able changes in the phenological events of many plant species,
such as the timing of plants' bud bursts, first leafings, first flow-
erings, first seed or fruit dispersal and so on. Records indicate
that many plants—including MAPs—have started blooming
earlier in response to the earlier occurrences of spring tempera-
tures and weather.
There is a lot of variability between species, and it can be
difficult to predict how climate change will affect the phenolo-
gies of different plants. In one finding it is reported that pheno-
logical shifts of medicinal plants are not significantly affecting
wild harvesting practices. It was noted that there was always
variations in the timing of the seasons, and collectors of wild
medicinals are accustomed to adjusting their harvesting sched-
ules accordingly.
It was noted that early blooming can become detrimental if
an area is prone to cold spells late in the spring season. If a cold
spell occurs a few days or weeks after early blooming has com-
menced, then those early buds or fruits could freeze, potentially
killing or affecting the production of some economically use-
ful plants. Apple orchards of North Carolina suffered severely
from this type of scenario, and the medicinal plant bloodroot
(
Sanguinaria canadensis
, Papaveraceae) has also been suscep-
tible to frost following early blooming.
the impact of
extreme
weather events
Mounting evidence indicates that extreme weather events such
as storms, droughts and floods have become more prevalent
and intense across the globe in recent years. The frequency and
severity of these events are expected to increase in the future
as a result of continued warming, having negative effects on
human health, infrastructure and ecosystems. Extreme weather
events have been known to affect harvesters' and cultivators'
abilities to grow and/or collect medicinal plant species, and
such difficulties have certainly been reported in recent years.
effects
in european
countries
Extreme weather conditions throughout Europe are impacting
medicinal plant production from seeding to harvesting, such
as chamomile in Germany and Poland. In the first year fen-
nel (
Foeniculum vulgare,
Apiaceae) was recorded as having
no yield at all in Bulgaria, due to drought conditions during
the spring in that country. Due to long and dry summers in
Serbia, accompanied by other extreme weather conditions such
