Effects of Global Warming on Plants

There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that global warming will affect terrestrial as well as marine plants. The endangered plants list is already quite lengthy and several other species are expected to join it if global warming continues unabated. Given below are ten most gruesome global warming effects on plants.

1. Global warming will result in more wildfires, thus resulting in depletion of already dwindling forest cover across the world.
2. The growing season for various species of plants has been altered over the last few years, and this is going to worsen with time.
3. As a result of lack of favorable condition the ability of reproduction of several plant species will be affected, which will limit the number of these plants and eventually result in their extinction.
4. Plant migration is yet another obvious global warming effect on Earth. Several plant species are migrating to regions with cold climate - towards the temperate region and high altitudes, wherein conditions seem to be favorable as of now.
5. Global warming will worsen the spread of invasive plants across the world - a problem which is expected to cost millions of dollars to control.
6. Plants act as natural cooling agents on the planet by releasing water from stomates - the tiny spores from which they absorb carbon dioxide. Their ability to act as cooling agents will be hampered - as too much of carbon dioxide in atmosphere will shrink these spores, and this will cause the environment to heat more.
7. Warm temperatures also provide ideal growing conditions for insects which feed on plants. The best example of this is Spruce bark beetles boom in Alaska which has destroyed million acres of spruce trees.
8. Extreme temperatures marked by frequent floods and droughts will affect agriculture sector the most, as no crops will be able to sustain in such extreme conditions.
9. Not everything will be bad though. One of the positive effects of global warming on plants will be the longer growing season that they will be subjected to, which will eventually result in more crop produce.
10. Global warming will also result in increase in microbial activity in soil, which will make it more fertile and plants more productive.