The End OF The World

生態變遷
美國園藝學家發現，在全球暖化影響下，美國的亞熱帶植物生長線逐漸北移，植物成長期延長，糟糕的是，害蟲、野草及外來物種也找到滋生溫床。康乃爾大學學者沃菲直指：「證據顯示，生物世界已對（氣候）改變產生回應。」
對喜歡養花蒔草的人而言，植物生長期延長是好事，但生物學者卻對此感到憂慮。不易散熱的二氧化碳增加，使溫暖地帶的毒藤（poison ivy），及會產生過敏原的豬草（ragweed）增生，而繁殖快速並吞沒掉林地的葛藤（kudzu）將朝北蔓延。 

美28州恐失州花州樹
美國有些州已面臨失去一些特有種的危機，美國國家自然生物基金會上月公布報告，指到本世紀末，恐怕有28個州要更改州樹或州花，例如俄亥俄州引以為傲的七葉樹、堪薩斯州的向日葵或密西西比州的木蘭花，可能就要消失。
園藝愛好者也有對策。他們為減緩暖化，已逐漸改採充電式除草機等環保器具。亞特蘭大植物園執行長馬特森說：「直到去年，大家才開始接受全球暖化的事實，而認知已轉化成行動了。」編譯王潔予

ATLANTA, May 2 — Like a true belle, this city flounces into bloom when the weather turns, its redbuds, azaleas and forsythia emerging like so much lace on a bodice.

But in recent years, plants that thrive in even warmer weather have begun crashing the ball. At the Habersham Gardens nursery, where well-heeled homeowners choose their spring seedlings, a spiky-leafed, sultry coastal oleander has been thriving in a giant urn.

“We never expected it to come back every year,” said Cheryl Aldrich, the assistant manager, guiding a visitor on a tour of plants that would once have needed coddling to survive here: eucalyptus, angel trumpets, the Froot Loop-hued Miss Huff lantana. “We’ve been able to overwinter plants you didn’t have a prayer with before.”


...New York Times