Climate Experience:
Citizens have noticed that Red Ironbark trees have seen an increase in failed flowering events.
Explanation:
- Trees under heat stress struggle to grow and flower; they may also lose leaves and limbs.[1]
- The region has been getting hotter and drier, 20 out of the past 21 years have seen above average temperatures,[2]whilst 8 of the last 10 have been below average rainfall.[3]
Ramifications:
- Changes are likely to unbalance the ecosystem particularly negatively impacting woodland bird populations.[4]
- Increasing heat waves could have devastating effects on natural plant populations and ecosystems.[5]
What can be done?
- Email your local MP and tell them that action on climate is important to you and explain the impacts being felt in your area. One email might not feel like much but most politicians consider it to be representative of 100 citizens.
- Help support the Act on Climate collective by donating; we are leading the charge for climate action. Your donation helps in advancing policies that prevent climate change from getting worse, we aim to empower communities and build a strong pro-climate-action constituency that governments can’t ignore, and as an added bonus it’s tax-deductable.
- Get involved with Act on Climate. We meet every Monday at 6pm (upstairs at 312 Smith St, Collingwood) and welcome all newcomers to join in the fight for climate justice. If you are unable to attend, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with the latest campaign.
* We aim to keep our material as accurate and as relevant as possible. Working with climate science, a field that is being constantly updated, keeps us on our toes. Information on this site was gathered on June 1 2019; if you notice information that needs updating please let us know. For the full reference list please see the following.
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[1]Teskey et al., “Responses of Tree Species to Heat Waves and Extreme Heat Events.”1699.
[2]“Australian Climate Change Site Data – Rutherglen”, Bureau of Meteorology, access April 23 2019, http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/hqsites/site_data.cgi?variable=maxT&area=aus&station=082039&dtype=anom&period=annual&ave_yr=0
[3]“Australian Climate Change Site Data – Whitlands”, Bureau of Meteorology, access April 23 2019, http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/hqsites/site_data.cgi?variable=rain&area=aus&station=083032&dtype=anom&period=annual&ave_yr=0
[4]Joanne M Bennett et al., “Resistance and Resilience: Can the Abrupt End of Extreme Drought Reverse Avifaunal Collapse?,” Diversity and Distributions20, no. 11 (2014).1329.
[5]Odhran S O’sullivan et al., “Thermal Limits of Leaf Metabolism across Biomes,” Global Change Biology23, no. 1 (2017).209.