1. Plants and climate change

2. What is climate change?
Changes in weather patterns caused by increases in the major greenhouse gases (especially CO2).
Changes include:
Rising temperatures
Rainfall disruption
More frequent and stronger storms

3. Global temperatures are rising
© Copyright 2009, Climatic Research Unit, UK.

4. Why are plants linked to climate change?

5. Plants remove CO2 from the air during photosynthesis and store it in their stems, leaves and roots
"Root Systems of Prairie Plants" by Heidi Natura ©1995, Conservation Research Institute

6. Tropical forests store vast amounts of carbon

7. Plants stabilise soils which store even more carbon!

8. Plants are important:
They provide food for us

9. Plants are important:
They provide food and shelter for animals

10. Plants are important:
They provide medicines and healthcare

11. Plants are important:
They provide wood for building and fibre for clothes

12. Climate change threatens plants
In order to grow, plants need:
Water
Carbon dioxide
Sunlight
Nutrients
The right temperature
All these will change with climate change

13. In response to climate change, plants can:
Move – to where the climate is suitable
Adapt – to the new climate
Become extinct

14. Move

15. How can plants move?
Seed dispersal (wind and animals)
Human movement

16. Barriers to plant movement
Barriers to migration (from Abraham J. Miller-Rushing and Richard B. Primack, Plant Talk 2004

17. What about mountain and island species?
Where can they go to find suitable conditions as the Earth warms?
Joseph Steufer

18. Adapt Changing time of growing or flowering Becoming dormant
Growing faster or slower

19. Assisted adaptation

20. But… Not all species will adapt to climate change at the same rate
Plants that flower too early may ‘miss’ their pollinators
Migrating birds might not have a food supply where they expect it

21. Foodchain disruption

22. Become extinct

23. These plants are almost extinct

24. Let’s conserve plants

25. How can we conserve plants?
Save energy and waste less
Choose what you buy carefully
Eat less meat
Tell people how important plants are
Protect forests
Plant trees
Grow local plants
Get involved in local conservation projects
Store seeds in seedbanks

26. Enjoy plants and the habitats they create

27. Want to know more about plants and climate change?
Visit:

28. BGCI is grateful for the Ernest Cook Trust for their
BGCI is grateful for the Ernest Cook Trust for their support in funding this project