CANBERRA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- An international study led by Australian scientists has found that plants and animals often do not follow the predictable rhythms of spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Published in the journal Nature, the study identified hidden seasonal rhythms across the planet, producing the most detailed global map yet of plant growth cycles, according to a statement released Thursday by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency.
The findings challenge the traditional model of four seasons. Researchers say the variations could have wide-ranging ecological, evolutionary and economic impacts.
The study, in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, the United States, analyzed 20 years of satellite data and found "hotspots of seasonal asynchrony," areas where neighboring regions experience sharply different seasonal timing.
"Our map predicts stark geographic differences in flowering timing and genetic relatedness across a wide variety of plant and animal species," said the study's lead author Drew Terasaki Hart, CSIRO ecologist and data analyst.
Most hotspots occur in Mediterranean climate zones, such as Southern Europe and parts of California in the United States, and in tropical mountain regions, including the Andes. In these areas, mismatched seasonal cycles may cause plants and animals to reproduce at different times, increasing the likelihood of evolutionary divergence and boosting biodiversity, researchers said.
The research highlights agricultural consequences as well. In Colombia, coffee farms located only a few kilometers apart can have harvest seasons as different as if they were in opposite hemispheres, underscoring the importance of local seasonal dynamics.
The authors note that the findings could influence agriculture, conservation, and even public health, since seasonal timing affects food supply and disease spread. Enditem
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