Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Ragweed Season Grows and Grows

Studies by USDA a scientist have confirmed that because of climate changes ragweed season now lasts longer and ends later across much of North America.

Ragweed pollen in some parts of the northern United States and Canada now lingers almost a month longer than it did in 1995, and these increases are correlated to seasonal warming shifts linked to climate change, according to report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.

"One of the biggest challenges in studying climate change is finding out how the plant kingdom is adapting to increases in air temperature and other meteorological phenomena," says Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Administrator Edward B. Knipling. "Studies like this also show us that these
ecological shifts don't stop at crop production. They can also have a significant impact on public health."

Assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggest that current and future increases in land-surface temperatures are more likely to occur at higher elevations and at higher latitudes.

Source: Agricultural Research Service

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