EurekAlert!, Nov 8th 2023
NEWS RELEASE 8-NOV-2023
Plant lifecycle insights: Big data can predict climate change impact
A new study published in Nature offers a paradigm shift regarding lifecycles in the plant world, and uses big data to predict the future impact of climate change
Peer-Reviewed Publication
THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY OF JERUSALEM
The study is based on a new database created by the researchers which combines, for the first time, datasets on distribution and datasets on lifecycles, making it possible to establish the prevalence of different lifecycles around the globe. It uses empirical tools and big data to examine theoretical paradigms about the way in which human disturbance is affecting annual plants and their global distribution. Among other things, it was found that annuals are expected to benefit more with the rise in human population density and due to climate change, which could prove devastating for the ecosystem.