Transcript:
A 60-acre forest called Trelease Woods has grown for centuries near the University of Illinois urbana-Champaign – a 60-acre forest called Trelease Woods has grown for centuries – largely undisturbed.
But as the climate warms, forests are changing.
Professor Emerita Carol Augspurger has monitored over 60 trees and plants for decades and noted when buds form in spring and when leaves change color and fall in autumn.
She and David Zaya, a natural history survey of Illinois, recently analyzed nearly 30 years of data.
Zaya: “The first thing we want to see is whether the timing of spring and autumn events is changing.”
For most species in the Trelease woods, the spring event occurs earlier and later, Zaya said. They found that nearly 90% of tree species have longer growth seasons per decade on average.
These changes pose risks. If the tree buds early, it is more susceptible to frost in the cold button. When trees fall quickly, they create shadows to limit the growth of undergrowth plants.
Therefore, over time, some species may struggle. And it's clear:
Zaya: “The impact of climate change is real. It's not theoretical. It's not future.”
It's happening now.
Report Credit: Sarah Kennedy/Chavobart Digital Media
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