Studies have revealed a concerning fact that global warming greatly impacts plants that rely on animal migration for seed dispersal.
One particular example is Erythronium grandiflorum, a species well-suited to subalpine slopes, which is rapidly being replaced by greenhouse flower species.
Scientists from the University of Maryland, including David Inouye and Amy McKinney, have found that as Earth's temperature rises, the first blooms of Erythronium grandiflorum occur almost 17 days earlier compared to the 1970s.
The earlier blooming poses a problem because Selasphorus platycercus, a species of hummingbird that feeds on the flower's nectar, no longer coincides with the flowering season.
Broad-tailed hummingbirds migrate from Central America to breed in the alpine regions of the western United States each spring. They have a short summer to raise their young, and the males establish territories before the annual flowering season begins.
Over the past four decades, the time gap between the arrival of the first broad-tailed hummingbird and the first flower bloom has changed by 13 days.
In a few years, the hummingbirds may miss the initial blooms entirely. Biologists predict that if this trend continues, hummingbirds will completely miss the first blooms within the next 20 years.
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When northern species arrive at their breeding areas, they often face challenges as their main food source is already depleted. Biologists also anticipate that these species will continue migrating northward as the climate warms.
In contrast, broad-tailed hummingbirds breeding in more southerly regions, like Arizona, USA, do not face significant challenges as the arrival of the first wave of male hummingbirds aligns with the blooming of the first flowers.
Ecological imbalances are more likely to occur at higher latitudes, where the impact of global warming is most pronounced. As the melting of snow and ice occurs earlier in spring, the flowering season advances as well.
"The Guardian" reported that nearly half of all plants depend on animals to disperse their seeds.
Scientists fear that when animals are compelled to migrate to cooler areas due to climate change, these plants may face the risk of extinction since it is difficult for plants to follow the migrating animals.
The ability of plants worldwide to adapt to climate change has declined by 60 percent due to the shifting migration patterns of warming animals.
Birds play a crucial role in seed dispersal and are closely linked to the global decline in bird and mammal biodiversity caused by climate change.
Birds can aid plants in tracking climate change, but if this process is disrupted, it can lead to plant species that are unable to survive the effects of climate change.
