Global Warming Spread The Facts

Help Stop Global Warming:
Are You Doing Your Little Bit To Keep Plants Looking Lively?

Global warming causes an increased environmental temperature and it can affect plants and animal life. There are positive as well as negative effects but the negative effects are more. Warmer temperatures, as well as stronger winds, are caused by global warming and it is helpful in the dispersal of pollen and seeds. This will help in the better survival of the plants. However, a higher temperature can cause drought and climatic changes caused by global warming result in reduced rain and water availability to plants.

Causes of Global Warming

The important causes of global warming include the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, petrol, diesel and large scale deforestation. The burning of fossil fuels releases a large amount of carbon dioxide which is known as a “greenhouse gas”. Accumulation of CO2 results in holding the heat radiations within the earth’s atmosphere and causing “greenhouse effect” or increased atmospheric temperature. Deforestation reduces the level of oxygen released into the atmosphere by plants and this also increases the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Global warming causes the ice in the polar region to melt and the plants in these areas will not be able to adapt to the increased temperature.

Forest Fires and Drought

Global warming is a major reason for forest fires in different parts of the world. The forest fires add to the greenhouse effect. The drought also results in damaging the crop plants. Due to less water arability, only drought low water use varieties will be able to survive. Higher temperature will also have an adverse effect on flowering and seed production in plants.

Changes in Plant Metabolism

The increase in carbon dioxide levels and temperature can cause changes in the metabolic activities of the plant. The adverse effect will result in stunted growth of the plant and lower photosynthesis rate. Plants will not receive adequate water during their growing season and this will result in poor growth and flowering. The high carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the atmosphere can cause acid rain which can cause great damages to the plant foliage and their ability to photosynthesis.

Changes in Reproductive Cycles

Reproduction in plants is highly dependent on the season and changes in climate affect the flowering time and sexual reproduction in plants. Changes in day length affect the initiation of first flowering and time taken for the flowers to mature. The changes in day length also affect the interaction of flowers with pollinators and thus interfering with the reproduction cycle. Changing precipitation patterns as well as heat waves can have an adverse effect on growth, flowering and reproduction and even survival of the plant. Increase in frost days can damage the plants.

Global Warming Solutions

In order to reduce global warming, we need to reduce the use of fossil fuels and should consider the use of more green energy such as wind energy, solar energy, biogas fuels, etc. We need to reduce deforestation and should give more importance to planting trees. Using recycled products and reducing pollution are the best ways to maintain the normal atmospheric level of carbon dioxide and to reduce global warming.