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Chaotic¹ Orbits Could Cause Catastrophic Collision 花期和生物多样性

As climate change dials up global temperatures, one effect is an earlier flower bloom. But it turns out there's another factor that also means faster flowering: a loss in biodiversity in a flower field.

气候变化在改变全球的温度，其中的一个效应就是花期提前。但是，另外一个因素也会影响花期：花品种的生物多样性减少。

"The amount of change in flowering time that we see with diversity loss is in the same magnitude range as the amount of change in flowering time we see with rising temperatures, globally." Amy Wolf, an ecologist at Columbia University and U.C. Davis.

“在全球范围来看，随着多样性的减少导致花期的数量的改变，和温度上升，花期数量的变化处于相同的范围内。”艾米·沃尔夫是哥伦比亚大学和加州大学戴维斯分校的生态学家。

Wolf and her colleagues studied that effect in a grassland² in northern California, in study plots with two to 16 species of plants. And they found that, for every two species lost, the remaining flowers blossomed a day earlier, on average. Possibly because the less diverse plots had higher soil temperatures, more moisture, and more nitrogen—all variables that could tweak bloom time. The study is in the Proceedings³ of the National Academy of Sciences.

沃尔夫和同事们在加州北部的草地上用2-16种植物研究了上述效应。他们发现，每消失两个物种，剩余花的花期平均就会提前一天。可能是由于植物多样性减少，土壤的温度、湿度以及营养成分就会增加——所有这些变量都会调整花期。该研究结果发表在《美国国家科学学院院刊》。

The reason it matters? Because flowers might bloom earlier than pollinators are expecting them. "And that could lead to a whole cascade⁴ of things. If plants don't get pollinated, or they don't get pollinated well, then you can start to lose species at an even more rapid rate."

为什么这么重要?因为花们绽开的时间比传粉者所希望的时间要早。这就会导致一连串的事情。如果植物没有授粉，或者没有很好的授粉，那么我们将会以更快的速度失去这些物种。

Wolf says it's too soon to know whether biodiversity loss and climate change will have synergistic effects on flower timing⁵. But combine climate change, species loss, and unpredictable ecological⁶ effects like this—and you've got a pretty ugly arrangement.

沃尔夫表示，对于生物多样性减少以及气候变化是否会对花期产生影响，尚不知晓。但是气候变化、物种灭绝以及一些难以预测的生态影响等等——会造成一个非常恶劣的后果。