Climate change is the main problem we have today for the future. More and more technologies are being developed capable of seeking solutions or alternatives to this change that affects the entire planet.
We know that the role of flora and fauna is vital for the future . Maintaining biodiversity and preserving food chains and biological cycles are powerful tools in the fight against climate change. Scientists are studying new observation techniques that allow them to discover even more about the role of flora and fauna.
Josep Peñuelas is an ecologist specializing in global ecology, plant ecophysiology, remote sensing, and biosphere-atmosphere interactions. He dedicates his research to the evolution of living beings and their role in climate change. He stated that the effects of climate change on flora and fauna would be most noticeable in phenology. This refers, for example, to when deciduous trees shed their leaves. With climate change, the temperature range is very different from normal. In October, it is still warm enough for the trees to interpret that they don't yet need to shed their leaves.
The same is true for migratory birds. These birds migrate to breed and live in warmer temperatures. However, with temperature changes, their migratory routes shift. This is easily observable and plays a crucial role in the functioning of the planet's ecosystems. When these phenological changes persist, they can lead to species being replaced by others, resulting in changes in their distribution range.
The ecologist confirmed that studies have shown that humans, plants, and animals are responding to climate change by genetically altering much faster than expected. However, it should be added that genetic changes in microorganisms are even more rapid due to their high reproduction rate and large population size. This is why microorganisms adapt more easily to the effects of climate change, having many more generations in a much shorter time.
Peñuelas' studies, conducted to understand the causes and consequences of climate change on the planet, have focused on the communication language of flowers. These studies can provide crucial data for understanding the relationship between flora and the environment.
Plants exchange more gases with the atmosphere than we think
Plants communicate with each other, not through speech or gestures, but by exchanging hundreds of gases with the atmosphere. The most well-known aspect of photosynthesis is the exchange of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, but what most people don't know is that they also exchange hydrocarbons, alcohols, and a vast array of gaseous compounds, which play an extraordinarily important biological role in communication. Furthermore, plants not only communicate with each other but also with herbivores and predators of herbivores, which facilitates seed dispersal through various means. It's also worth noting that this exchange of gases with the atmosphere alters its chemistry and, consequently, the quality of the air we breathe. Typically, in areas with denser flora and vegetation, the air is cleaner and healthier because it absorbs a significant amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the burning of fossil fuels.
Climate change is accentuated by the burning of fossil fuels
Peñuelas' studies apply remote sensing techniques to work at the global, regional, and local levels. Remote sensing is necessary to monitor these changes.
"What we have verified is that we have an increasingly green planet, where there is more green biomass, and we attribute this to the fact that we are fertilizing the planet with carbon dioxide that is the food of plants."
But it's not all positive, since, as Peñuelas explains, the worrying aspect of this situation is that it leads to saturation. This occurs because plants suffer from water shortages due to droughts caused by climate change, or they lack nutrients because they are severely limited. In the worst cases, the limiting factor for plants is the lack of light.
The consequence of this is that the green mass ceases to be active and absorb the CO2 we emit, thus increasing the greenhouse effect. To solve this, we must recognize that there is a limit to the planet's CO2 absorption capacity and that we should change our lifestyle, as continuing as we are will cause the planet to overheat.
