image: Late-spring-frost damage to the leaves of an Asian species (Decaisnea fargesii) at the Munich Botanical Garden. view more
Credit: Image credit: Constantin M. Zohner.
Researchers analyzed late-spring frost (LSF) occurrences between 1959 and 2017 and frost-damage resistance strategies of up to 1,500 boreal and temperate woody species in the Northern Hemisphere, and found that species exhibited traits for leaf freezing-resistance that match local LSF risk; furthermore, increasing leaf-damaging LSF under climate change endangers approximately 35% of forests in Europe and approximately 26% of forests in Asia, compared with approximately 10% of forests in North America, according to the authors.
Article #19-20816: "Late-spring frost risk between 1959 and 2017 decreased in North America but increased in Europe and Asia," by Constantin M. Zohner et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Constantin M. Zohner, ETH Zurich, SWITZERLAND; tel: +41-44-633-83-87; email: constantin.zohner@t-online.de
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Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences