An Early Change in Season

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208211930.htm

12 research institutions in the United Kingdom have put together the largest study yet of the long term affects of the changes in the timing of the change in seasons in different environments, including the marine and freshwater environments. They have studied a wide array of organisms to find out how the change of seasons affects the times at which they reproduce. They've found that organisms lower on the food chain, such as producers like plankton, have reacted quickly to the change in the timing of seasonal change, while organisms higher up on the food chain have taken a much longer time to get used to the changing of the seasons. This means that they are lagging behind with the necessity to change the timing of their mating to reflect the changing climate. Some scientists are worried that this slow reaction might throw off the number of offspring that are successfully bred by higher order organisms. They are worried that they will see a lowering of the population of species with high economic or conservation importance, which will not only affect the environment in which they live but can also affect humans. As one scientist pointed out, we are starting to see how the change in our climate affects organisms in many different environments and how it throws off a variety of food webs. The studies show that the changes in climate can have very big consequences.