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Climatologists recently reported that we shouldn’t expect a fairytale white winter. Winter will probably not be white at all, we should have snow unless it is short-lived, so fans of sledding and other winter entertainments should hurry to enjoy the freshly fallen snow.
Since the cold winter becomes less frequent in Lithuania, naturalists say that due to such climatic changes we will also have to get used to some natural innovations. Almantas Kulbis, head of the department of ecology and nature education at the Lithuanian Center for Non-Formal Education for Pupils, says that as winters continue to be warm, new species of plants and animals may become established in Lithuania, the Vegetation will last longer and the plants may have to live for several years. On natural anomalies, innovations and winter, in this interview.
People shared photos taken some time ago on social media. We had mountains of snow at the same time a few years ago. So what is going on outside the window right now? There is no snow, not even the leaves have completely fallen. What happens to nature when the outdoors is so warm?
The cold will still come, and nature is what the conditions are. For example, plants are noted for their unique property of inorganic materials to create organic and conductive photosynthesis. During it, sunlight creates completely new substances that make plants grow. This is how herbivorous animals feed, and then predators and humans feed ourselves up the food chain.
When fall comes, plant growth and flowering stops, meadows turn brown, and trees are bare. There are many reasons for this. Heat is not the most important thing. Lack of light. The days are getting shorter, the light is getting less and less, the photosynthesis process can take less and less time.
Trees are simpler, shedding the foliage and preparing for winter. In the case of herbaceous plants, things are a bit different, but as the temperature drops, all the physiological processes in the plants develop more slowly and their growth stops. We’ve had a pretty warm October now, with the November rush and heat looking amazing, but enough. As a result, plants can grow, flourish.
Does this mean that we can enjoy the benefits of the garden, forest and garden for longer?
Although the processes take place differently, plants grow and flower more slowly, but still flourish. Gardeners and gardeners are still amazed that here in November, and in the gardens, they pick raspberries, pick berries. Back on november 9 I saw people photographing a late strawberry. She has blossomed and is still trying to blush. It’s probably not cooked so you can eat it.
It is still possible to bring part of this harvest from the garden. There are parsley and other plants. It is common for leeks to hibernate. There were no major frosts, so it is still possible to transport another leafy vegetable from the garden.
The same goes for the world of mushrooms. Through the window I see hairy mushrooms growing on the grass. I do not remember the year when, at that time, November 9, it would be possible to choose these mushrooms. This mushroom is quite rare, it is edible and in some foreign countries it is valued. He froze one of the first and now you can see the shoots. In fact, mushrooms can be found in Lithuania almost all year round.
You mentioned mushrooms. I was in the forest for the weekend, I found squirrels, but I did not dare to bring them and eat them. Is it still possible to eat mushrooms at this time?
There were no major frosts. Mushrooms should not be eaten frozen. Nor did the growth of the fungus stop. Social media shows that people still find brown boletus and green bats, and squirrels are no wonder. They are quite hardy and can be discovered even before Christmas if there is no snow.
There are still mushrooms and in some places people collect a lot of them. So much so that they do not grow so fast and it can already be said that the doors of the season are closing. The most enduring mushrooms still carry mushrooms.
You can eat them, of course, if there will be stronger frosts, you need to be very careful. Mushrooms are a perishable product. Such colds, when the night is minus five or eight degrees, and during the day even more than ten, fungi cause spoilage. Such mushrooms, of course, cannot be eaten.
After all, the temperature is different in different parts of Lithuania. How do you know that you no longer need to eat a mushroom just by looking at it? What external signs of a fungus give away its condition?
Visual separation is sometimes quite difficult because mushrooms that sprout in late fall freeze overnight, thaw again during the day, and freeze again the following night. They can start to go bad. You should look at it visually. Those who seem really unattractive should not be chosen. If you can visually see changes in the fetal body of the fungus, it is safer not to collect the fungus.
You mentioned before that due to the warmer climate, new species of plants and animals are entering Lithuania. What?
The change in nature has been constant, only noticeable over a longer period of time. There were several periods in Lithuania, both warmer and much colder. A generation of people don’t feel it. Compared to the history of the earth, the ice age in Lithuania was almost a moment ago. Changes in the history of the planet are happening very fast, but in the human generation they are almost imperceptible.
The change of vegetation is slow. Yes, new species are arriving, but the extension of the range of species is slow. In kilometers or tens of kilometers per year. This is how the seeds of plants can be propagated naturally. They can be transported longer distances unless they are birds.
Trees travel even slower. In public space, you can hear that as the weather warms up in Lithuania, the fir should start to disappear, because it is more of a tree from the northern countries. But in reality, it won’t happen that fast. It is possible that the people themselves decide not to grow fir trees and start planting beech forests, they can become quite normal forests.
Animals can spread much faster. A well-known example is the insect worshiper. It spread very quickly. In recent years, more and more sites of this insect have appeared. Humans initially reported this to naturalists as a great rarity, and now it can be seen that it is a fairly common find.
The pilgrims traveled to Estonia. The feeling last year was that they found themselves faithful not only when they arrived in Lithuania, but also when they multiplied here. They, as you know, do not usually spend the winter here, but die. This year, it has been confirmed that they can breed in Lithuania, and not just live on arrival.
Can species entering Lithuania be dangerous for species already living in Lithuania? Could newly arrived plants and animals displace those already living in Lithuania?
Species certainly possible, but more invasive, aggressive and fast-spreading. Of the species found on the edge of a natural habitat, this is not to be expected. If they spread on their own, it will spread very slowly. For centuries, if not longer.
The culprit for the propagation of plants is man. You can bring in some species from warmer countries, grow them here, and enjoy them growing in Lithuania without freezing. Later, it may become apparent that these same species can begin to spread rapidly.
This year, the Germans published such a book on neophytes, plants that came to Europe after the discovery of America. If you look around Germany, you can find many species of plants that are not seen and are rarely grown here. In Germany, they already occupy natural habitats and become intrusive weeds that crowd out native plants.
No major warming is required, a degree or two of annual temperature change is sufficient, and people can grow a variety of plants from warmer countries. Later, the plants begin to spread towards us. Acclimatization of plants is a responsible thing and you have to think about whether a plant is needed.
Another interesting fact. Some annual nursery plants, due to the warm winters, if not pulled up, will sprout again the next year and are already growing as biennials. In their homeland, the plants are perennials and our florists grow them as annuals. Due to the warm winters, they adapt and live for the next year.
In the summer, it was announced that palm trees were being grown in Lithuania. What future do you see here?
People are brave, thirsty for innovation, they want as many interesting plants as possible. But palm trees should not be expected to constantly grow with us and become farm decorations.
We’ve had two warm winters in a row, but who knows, maybe this winter will be one where we have a week or two of minus 30 degrees so the palm trees will suffer. The warming of the climate will be continuous, which means that it will take more than a year, decades, but it can take a year, which can destroy all the hard work of the gardeners.
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