Climate change already causing early spring in Canada

Spring is the time of the year when everything seems to come back to life after long and cold water. But if the spring comes too early this is certainly not the good news for many plants. Why? Because plants which bloom too early are much more vulnerable to damaging frosts compared to plants that bloom in "normal" time.

According to the Canadian scientists from the University of Alberta "early spring coming" is already happening in Alberta, Canada, with many native wildflowers and trees blooming too early and therefore becoming increasingly sensitive to frosts which could soon lead to serious reproduction issues and loss of species.

In the last couple of months Canadian scientists were studying the life cycle of central Alberta spring blooms, in a period from 1936 to 2006, evaluating climate trends and the related changes in bloom times for several plant species.

By using thermal time models they have discovered that for instance prairie crocuses and aspen trees are now blooming two weeks earlier than they were 70 years ago. This really shouldn't come as a surprise when you consider that the average winter monthly temperature increased significantly in the last 70 years, the best example to this is the average temperature for the February, which increased by staggering 5.3 degrees Celsius.

This study is really just one more proof about the warming trend in Canada. Climate change isn't sparing no one and Canada is certainly not an exception.

If the world doesn't do something about reducing the level of greenhouse gas emissions the coming of spring will soon become anything but a season of rebirth for Canadians.