Due to climate change, flowering and greening will start weeks earlier. We are in the middle of spring this year. This can be recognized, for example, by the fact that the first sulfur butterflies fly out again.
The first “thawed” sulfur butterflies swing through the mild spring air after enduring the winter on branches like small “icicles” with the help of the body’s own “antifreeze”. And also the forest birds announce the beginning of spring with courtship songs. In the Pielachtal (Lower Austria), on the other hand, the dirndls are driven by a natural ritual. The distinctive carnelian cherries of the natural paradise can be recognized by their delicate yellow blossoms. Plants like these are used by ecologists, meteorologists and also pomologists (fruit tree experts) as indicators of the end of snow and cold.
“In general, many plants have started to flower earlier and earlier in recent decades. The flowering of the hazel in Austria has been delayed by about two weeks since 1950, and even by about three weeks at altitudes above 800 meters,” the experienced Viennese climatologist Konstantin Brandes of the private weather service Ubimet analyzes the spring feeling of our flora “centrifugally sharp”. How the plants develop depends – according to experts – of course mainly on the prevailing temperatures. As soon as it is warm enough in spring, they start up their systems, form the first flowers or start to sprout leaves.
In particular, the example of the hazel tree shows that the levels required for this are always reached earlier than 70 years ago. “The fact that plants end their hibernation earlier and earlier is a response to rising temperatures in their environment,” says Brandes.
The data he filtered out for the “Krone” also shows that the domestic fruit harvest is coming too early. According to this, the white blossom sea on the local fruit trees unfolded about two weeks earlier than in 1950. In the vineyards, the blossoms developed even three weeks earlier.
Plants are increasingly threatened by frost damage
However, those who enjoy the first apricot buds to open should be aware of the risk of frost damage. Due to global warming, the lowest temperatures are also rising – but unfortunately not so fast to keep up with the ever earlier flowering plants. Ubimet Warning: Nighttime temperatures below freezing can still be expected in April and partly in May. Especially in the orchards, this late night frost can lead to crop failures. This weather risk will increase enormously in the future.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
