Natural History Wanderings

Unlike many other areas where global warming has led to an earlier seasonal bloom, the high Tibetan Plateau is actually seeing a later bloom period.

Nature.com reported that the growing season has shortened by about one month for steppe

Giant Pandas are found at the Tibetan Plateau from Flickr: photographer unknown license for reuse

plants and three weeks for meadow vegetation.  It is believed that the warm weather has shortened the needed chilling period that plant need before they begin to grow.  (High elevation plants often go dormant to survive the cold winters and frost.  The plants normally grow after a specific period of cold.) This results in the plants starting to grow late as they haven’t had a sufficiently long cold period at that start of their historical growth schedule.

One possible result of this is that the nomads who raise cattle in these areas will have their way of life threatened. There will be insufficient grasses for their animals feed on.

To learn more go to the Nature News article: Plants flowering later on the Tibetan Plateau