Broadleaf trees show reduced sensitivity to global warming
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - 08:50
in Earth & Climate
The sensitivity of leaf unfolding phenology to climate warming has significantly declined since 1980s, according to a study. Earlier spring leaf unfolding is a frequently observed response of plants to climate warming. Many deciduous tree species require cold temperatures, in other words 'chilling', for dormancy release, and the warming-related reductions in chilling may counteract the advance of leaf unfolding in response to warming. Empirical evidence for this, however, was very limited.