Many of you know my thoughts on climate change. We obviously are experiencing changes and whether or not it is warming permanently, extremes are driving gardeners crazy. I doubt we can do anything to change things, so we'd better adapt. This got me thinking about our native plants.
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| Silene virginica |
Will they stay and do what they need to, to survive, or will their native range simply change?
Discuss, please.
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| Trillium grandiflorum |
"Bejeweled"
5 comments:
I too think we are having some serious climate changes. I hope native plants can survive, but I guess it all will have to change eventually, so some plants might just not make the cut.
Very intriguing question indeed. I think a lot of plants will adapt if the changes are gradual. If the changes are severe, there may be loss of certain natives in areas. However, birds and other factors can carry natives to another geographical location where they CAN thrive. It's like you said, natives may "move" to adjust to climate change.
I SOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo want a Silene virginica! We had one in the Learning Garden in Virginia. I love native plants....well, some anyway. Silene is certainly one to love.
Actually, I believe the change in range of plant and animal species is already happening. For example, several species of picas (small squirrel-like animals) in the Sierra Nevada occupy niches at different altitudes. As the winters get milder, the all migrate upward, a bit more each year. Soon the top pica will have nowhere to go.
That's why it's good we gardeners do what we can...
I believe (hope)that the native flora will adapt...that is if the changes aren't too drastic too fast. Others will come in where the plants can't conform to the new weather patterns. Natives have been around a lot longer than we have been around.
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