Climate Change
Sep. 9th, 2024 12:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithStudy suggests US droughts, rainy extremes becoming more severe
Severe drought in the American Southwest and Mexico and more severe wet years in the Northeast are the modern norm in North America, according to new research -- and the analysis suggests these seasonal patterns will be more extreme in the future. The middle of the United States, meanwhile, can expect bigger swings between wetter wet periods -- high-rainfall years known as pluvials -- and drier summers through the rest of this century, the study predicts.
This is a big problem. Some plants and animals have adapted to dry conditions. Some have adapted to soggy conditions. But very few can withstand large, unpredictable swings between both extremes. The same is true of extreme swings between heat and cold. When plants can't keep up, more soil gets exposed, leading to erosion; and that degrades water quality in rivers and lakes.
Here are some ideas...
8 Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials that Grow in Wet AND Dry Conditions (Southeast / Georgia)
10 Flowers That Will Survive the Worst Weather
10 Weather Resistant Plants For Cold, Wind, Rain, and Drought
15 drought tolerant plants that will also be happy if it rains! (United Kingdom)
Best Wet-Feet Plants for Flood and Drought Conditions (Australia)
Building Climate Change Resilience into the Garden
Choosing weather tolerant plants (Midwest / Illinois)
Climate Change Resilient Plants for Landscaping (Pacific Northwest)
Drought-Resistant Crops and Varieties (California / West Coast)
Flood and Drought Tolerance Trials of Select Shrub Species & Woody Shrubs for Stormwater Retention Practices Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions
Gardening tips for extreme weather
Identification of Flood and Drought Tolerant Plant Species (Canada)
Plants That Can Withstand Heat and Cold: 11 Varieties Picked by Experts
Rain Gardens: the Plants (East Coast / Pennsylvania)
THE RESILIENT GARDENER: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times
Six Native Texas Plants That Can Tolerate Flood And Drought (Southwest / Texas)
Sustainable Gardening: Solutions to Climate Change (Northeast / Maryland)
These Tough Plants Can Take Nearly Anything Nature Throws at Them
Of course, there's one other excellent approach: adaptivar landraces. This means growing plants with as much genetic diversity as possible, so they can adapt to whatever your locale and the future may throw at them. That advice about isolating varieties? Mostly throw it out. Promiscuous pollination is better, except where plants have traits that need to stay separate (e.g. flour corn vs popcorn or sweet peppers vs. hot peppers). Consider hybrid swarms. Beware of cytoplasmic male sterility and other crimes against humanity in food crops. Select for whatever traits you want. Practice survival of the fittest. Check out this example of frost-resistant tomatoes. These examples focus on garden plants, but you can apply them to anything. Frex, here are my Shithouse Marigolds.
Severe drought in the American Southwest and Mexico and more severe wet years in the Northeast are the modern norm in North America, according to new research -- and the analysis suggests these seasonal patterns will be more extreme in the future. The middle of the United States, meanwhile, can expect bigger swings between wetter wet periods -- high-rainfall years known as pluvials -- and drier summers through the rest of this century, the study predicts.
This is a big problem. Some plants and animals have adapted to dry conditions. Some have adapted to soggy conditions. But very few can withstand large, unpredictable swings between both extremes. The same is true of extreme swings between heat and cold. When plants can't keep up, more soil gets exposed, leading to erosion; and that degrades water quality in rivers and lakes.
Here are some ideas...
8 Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials that Grow in Wet AND Dry Conditions (Southeast / Georgia)
10 Flowers That Will Survive the Worst Weather
10 Weather Resistant Plants For Cold, Wind, Rain, and Drought
15 drought tolerant plants that will also be happy if it rains! (United Kingdom)
Best Wet-Feet Plants for Flood and Drought Conditions (Australia)
Building Climate Change Resilience into the Garden
Choosing weather tolerant plants (Midwest / Illinois)
Climate Change Resilient Plants for Landscaping (Pacific Northwest)
Drought-Resistant Crops and Varieties (California / West Coast)
Flood and Drought Tolerance Trials of Select Shrub Species & Woody Shrubs for Stormwater Retention Practices Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions
Gardening tips for extreme weather
Identification of Flood and Drought Tolerant Plant Species (Canada)
Plants That Can Withstand Heat and Cold: 11 Varieties Picked by Experts
Rain Gardens: the Plants (East Coast / Pennsylvania)
THE RESILIENT GARDENER: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times
Six Native Texas Plants That Can Tolerate Flood And Drought (Southwest / Texas)
Sustainable Gardening: Solutions to Climate Change (Northeast / Maryland)
These Tough Plants Can Take Nearly Anything Nature Throws at Them
Of course, there's one other excellent approach: adaptivar landraces. This means growing plants with as much genetic diversity as possible, so they can adapt to whatever your locale and the future may throw at them. That advice about isolating varieties? Mostly throw it out. Promiscuous pollination is better, except where plants have traits that need to stay separate (e.g. flour corn vs popcorn or sweet peppers vs. hot peppers). Consider hybrid swarms. Beware of cytoplasmic male sterility and other crimes against humanity in food crops. Select for whatever traits you want. Practice survival of the fittest. Check out this example of frost-resistant tomatoes. These examples focus on garden plants, but you can apply them to anything. Frex, here are my Shithouse Marigolds.
