Climate change could mean the Rockies will see fewer wildflowers blooming in years to come, according to a University of Maryland researcher. More disturbing still: the decline in flowers could have repercussions for other creatures higher up the food chain, including grasshoppers, deer and elk.
Sifting through 35 years of data, David Inouye found that snow has been melting earlier in the Rockies over the past decade, causing three types of perennial wildflowers — larkspur, Aspen fleabane and Aspen sunflower — to start blooming earlier in the spring. While average temperatures are warming, the region is still prone to snaps of frost as late as June. The frost doesn’t kill the plants, but does leave them unable to bloom for the rest of the year. And that means the plants can’t produce seeds and reproduce.
Editor’s note: Today, we’re pleased to start a content partnership with GreenSceneUSA, a site that’s provides “…a supportive, interactive, nationwide community that gives you access to everything for greening your life with style and ease.” In addition to broad information on green lifestyle, GSUSA also provides “City Scene” sections… so they seemed like a natural partner for Ecolocalizer. Today’s post, on Chicago’s Green Alleys intiative, appears here on the GreenSceneUSA site.
With 1900 miles of alleys, Chicago has more of the narrow service streets than any other city in the nation. In summer, all that blacktop radiates a lot of heat into the scorching metropolis, and during rain and snowmelt, it’s a conduit for rivers of contaminated run-off. But under Mayor Richard Daley’s Green Alley initiative, part of an ambitious citywide greening strategy, the Chicago Department of Transportation has begun resurfacing the alleys with new eco-friendly material.
