andOr thousands of years, the summer coup was characterized by a pivotal moment in the human calendar – a turning point that is mired in myths, when it is said that the king of oak surrounds Holly King, and the days begin to fail.
Now, the flag increases that trees really respond to this heavenly transformation, with changes in their growth and reproductive strategies that occur immediately after the longest day of the calendar. The study gives new visions about the reason for this, with the effects of how to adapt forests to changing climates.
Although it is long known that the plants use daylight for seasonal activities such as the growth of leaves, botanists have recently begun to ask whether the summer coup itself, which occurs between 20 and 22 June in the northern hemisphere, could serve as a heavenly “rifle” for some events.
Last year, researchers, led by Professor Michał Bogdziewicz at Adam Mikivich University in Poland, discovered that regardless of where to beech trees in Europe live, they suddenly open a Window on the temperature sensor on the coupUse it to determine the number of seeds to be manufactured the following year. If the atmosphere is warm in the days after the coup, they will produce more flower buds in the next spring, which leads to a crop of beech in the fall. But if it is great, it may not result from anything – a phenomenon known as the bell.
“The temperature sensitivity window opens at the coup and remains open for 30 to 40 days. There is no other phenomenon that can firm beech trees tightly throughout Europe at the same time.”
Swiss researchers recently discovered that trees in the mild lower hemisphere forests appear to be Switch their growth strategy Throughout the coup: warm temperatures before this date, the aging of their leaves speeds up, while warm temperatures after slowing this process. This means that it takes longer for their leaves to turn brown in the fall, which increases their ability to act on photosynthesis and growth when the conditions are favorable.
The latest study, published in The facts of the National Academy of SciencesIt provides a new look at the relationship between the trees and the summer coup.
Dr. Victor Van Der Mersch, Dr. Elizabeth and Wolkovic of the British Columbia University in Vancouver, Canada, analyzed 1000 years of temperature records throughout Europe and North America, and integrate them with future climate expectations. The results show that trees reach thermal optimal – the temperature range as their physiological processes are more efficient – about the summer coup. It is striking that this peak remained stable for centuries.
“In Spain, the optimal period was a little early, and in the Scandinavian countries, later – on average across Europe and North America, it seems that the summer coup is an ideal time for plants to make decisions,” said Van der Mersch. “It was very surprising because the most warmer days in July or August – they are not all over the summer.”
If the coup is constantly coinciding with the growing peak conditions, this may be a evolutionary logical to use it as a sign – especially since this sweet thermal spot looks stable across time.
“Plants are always trying to find a balance between risks and opportunities,” Van der Mirch explained. “The more they go to the growth season, the easier it is for them to know whether it is a good or bad growth year – but there is also less time to use this information.”
The coup appears to be a critical turn in this decision -making process. “It makes sense for them to turn between a growth strategy or another at this time.”
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However, the issue of whether they feel the change throughout the day, or a sweet, simultaneous spot in the temperature, is still open.
While researchers such as Bogdzievezz explore how trees discover changes throughout the day all over the coup, Van Der Meersch believes that the temperature may play a larger role than previously estimated. “Instead of sensing the coup, perhaps what really matters to the temperature -accumulation patterns at this time,” he said.
However, given a strong relationship between temperature and length today, “we need more research to separate these complex signals,” and added: “It is also possible to rely on a mixture of summer coup and thermal signals to improve growth and reproductive timing.”
Understanding the mechanism is important, because it can have effects on how the forests adapt to the climate crisis. “If the plants use warm signals instead of the day long, it may be a good thing, because they can have a better ability to adapt to local environmental conditions,” said Van der Mirch. “If they depend on the length of the day, the coup will always be installed on about 21 June, so there is less flexibility.”
