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11 November 2008
Sensing Our Planet: NASA Earth Science Research Features 2008 now available
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by Stephanie Renfrow
November 11, 2008
In March 2007, the eastern United States enjoyed soaring temperatures and an early spring. Plant ecologist and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, resident Lianhong Gu was among those who noted both the warmth and the plants bursting into growth. He said, "I was enjoying the green outside my office window and watching the plants in my garden at home to see when the buds broke." For over a week, temperatures in parts of the eastern United States rose as much as 15 degrees Celsius (27 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal, a sharp spike in thirty years of temperature records.
Despite his appreciation for the early arrival of spring, Gu saw a potential downside. "Plant ecologists know that if temperatures in the early spring are high, then plants may start premature development," he said. "That means tender tissues and organs may be exposed to subsequent frosts, potentially affecting productivity for the whole year." And, scientists like Gu believe that the cycle of early spring warming, premature plant growth, damage from freezes, and subsequent decline will increase with the unpredictable temperature fluctuations expected as climate change takes hold.
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