Global warming may spread plant seeds faster and farther

A team headed by a Finnish researcher concludes that stronger winds caused by global warming may be dispersing seeds and pollen over longer distances. An increase in temperature of only a couple of degrees may increase the dispersal of plants in Northern forests and the spread of plant species into forest clearings after logging or forest fires. University of Helsinki researcher Anna Kuparinen headed the international research into the impact of global warming on seed and pollen dispersal. The goal was to learn whether global warming would accelerate the dispersal of plant populations in forests. Seed and pollen dispersal profoundly affects the dynamics and genetic variation of plant populations, Kuparinen said in a news release. Spreading into more favorable areas will help them survive in the warming climate. Wind conditions play a key role, as turbulent vertical streams, in particular, spread seeds very efficiently, even over long distances. The researchers also discovered that a temperature only three degrees Celsius warmer increased the dispersal of seeds and the speed at which plant populations spread throughout the growth season...Oregonian