Many species no longer grow in four seasons, what's the matter?

New research shows that many animals and plants today do not grow according to the traditional four seasons but according to unpredictable rhythms.

Scientists have discovered that there is a seasonal "shift" in many animal and plant species - Photo: REUTERS

An international study led by Australian scientists, recently published in the journal Nature , shows that many plants and animals do not follow the traditional four-season cycle of spring-summer-autumn-winter, but instead operate according to more complex and unpredictable rhythms.

The study, conducted by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley (USA), was based on an analysis of 20 years of satellite data.

The team has built the most detailed global map of plant growth cycles to date, and discovered the existence of "seasonal asynchrony hotspots" where plant growth, flowering and reproductive activities differ markedly from surrounding regions.

According to Dr Drew Terasaki Hart, an ecologist and lead author of the study, this shift not only challenges the traditional concept of four seasons, but also opens up far-reaching implications for ecology, evolution, agriculture , and even public health.

These “asynchrony hotspots” are often concentrated in Mediterranean climates such as southern Europe, California (USA) and tropical mountain ranges, especially the Andes. In these places, mismatched growth and reproductive cycles can lead to plants and animals mating, germinating or flowering at different times, increasing the potential for evolutionary divergence and promoting biodiversity.

The study also has clear economic implications. In Colombia, coffee farms just a few miles apart can enter completely different harvest seasons, as if they were in opposite hemispheres. This suggests that local seasonality plays a crucial role in global agriculture and trade.

Scientists stress that accurately identifying potential seasonal cycles could help improve agricultural management, nature conservation and response to health risks, as seasonal changes directly affect food supplies as well as the spread of diseases.

Back to topic

VNA

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhieu-loai-khong-con-phat-trien-theo-bon-mua-co-chuyen-gi-20250829214218577.htm