An article published in the March 2008 issue of BioScience, Will Global Warming Increase Plant Frost Damage? analyzed the sudden freeze of Spring 2007 after unusually warm weather, whic damaged many plants in the Eastern US.
"Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are believed to reduce the ability of some plants to withstand freezing, and the authors of the BioScience study suggest that global warming could lead to more freeze and thaw fluctuations in future winters. This pattern is potentially dangerous for plants because many species must acclimate to cold over a sustained period. Acclimation enables them to better withstand freezes, but unusual warmth early in the year prevents the process. A cold spring in 1996, in contrast to the 2007 event, caused little enduring damage because it was not preceded by unusual warmth."from BioScience Press Releases
Download the full pdf article The 2007 Eastern US Spring Freeze: Increased Cold Damage in a Warming World?
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