Warmer weather and reduced frosts linked to climate change are giving a boost to spring mushroom numbers in the UK and EuropeWarmer weather and reduced frosts linked to climate change are giving a boost to spring mushroom numbers in the UK and EuropeWarmer weather and reduced frosts linked to climate change are giving a boost to spring mushroom numbers in the UK and Europe
Spring mushrooms are popping up around three weeks earlier than 50 years ago due to global warming, according to fungi experts. It is well known that organisms such as birds or plants are laying or flowering earlier, due to higher prevailing temperatures in the spring. However, we found that higher temperatures as long ago as the previous summer cause fungi to fruit earlier in the following spring,' said Professor Alan Gange, Professor of Microbial Ecology at Royal Holloway and one of the study authors.
And the reason is the winter growth and Ecosystems speeding up,
Winter growth
An additional consequence of fungi staying more active over the winter is that decomposition and the nutrient cycle become more rapid. For gardeners this means faster rotting compost and faster growing lawns and plants
Ecosystems speeding up
The entire pattern of fungal growth has changed, meaning that the vital ecosystem functions of decomposition and nutrient cycling must have speeded up considerably, as our autumns and winters have become warmer
In science it is often difficult to accurately show long-term effects of anything. It usually requires years of research and even then is not conclusive due to possible unforeseen long-term effects. In terms of climate change, however, we don't have years to spare to determine exactly how significant this problem will turn out to be. We can already see that it's quickly becoming a problem. Luckily, we have a few species like spring mushrooms that are visibly changing as a direct result of climate change. We can easily see the effects on these mushrooms, providing a tangible example of what can happen in the future. These are the kinds of things that push people into action, kind of like specific species used to represent extinction (such as pandas), and can lead to change.
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