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Conifer trees are dispersing pollen earlier due to climate change
Korean red pines before (left) and after (right) pollen dispersal / Courtesy of the Korea Forest Service
By Ko Dong-hwan
Korean nut pines before (left) and after (right) pollen dispersal / Courtesy of the Korea Forest Service
By Ko Dong-hwan
Conifer trees in Korea today are beginning to disperse pollen earlier, compared to 10 years ago, according to the Korea Forest Service.
The government forest research agency said Monday that the country's four most common conifer trees ― Korean red pines, Korean nut pines, Korean firs and spreading yews ― have begun dispersing pollen several days earlier during the past three years than they did in 2010.
Between 2010 and 2012, the trees' average pollen dispersal season began between May 11 and 16. Over the last three years, however, it has begun between May 1 and 5. The start of the pollen dispersal season has occurred earlier by 1.43 days on average each year since 2010, the agency said.
The agency in 2010 began monitoring conifer trees in 10 public botanical gardens throughout the country, in order to study when each conifer type begins dispersing pollen each year. The Korea National Arboretum in Pocheon, the Mulhyanggi Arboretum in Osan, Gangwon Provincial Arboretum in Chuncheon and Daegu Arboretum are among the botanical gardens that cooperated with the study.
The 10 botanical gardens have also been monitoring some 150 plants, including other conifers and broad-leaved trees, as to when they begin anthesis (the period during which flowers are fully open and functional), leaf unfolding and autumn foliage each year, as part of the study.
“This research has clearly proven why long-term studies of plants' seasonal growth are important for studying climate change's ecological impact,” said Prof. Jeong Su-jong from Seoul National University's Graduate School of Environmental Studies, who participated in the project. He added that conifers are an “important source of carbon reduction because they absorb it.”
“The shift in the timeline of the conifer trees' annual pollen dispersal proves the need for further studies of Korean conifers' seasonal changes, along with how much carbon dioxide they absorb. These studies will be done in the future.”
Son Seong-won of the Korea National Arboretum's plant resources research division, who oversaw the study, said that it “once again proved that climate change is speeding up the ecological clock in terms of plants' anthesis and leaf unfolding.”
“The seasonal growth of plants (in general) is now a standard reference point for calculating the impact of climate change,” Son said. “If we come up with some sort of a precise predictive model based on data from long-term monitoring and studies, we will be able to respond proactively to climate change's direct or indirect influence on our society.”
Conifers' pollen is known to be harmless to human health, but can cause sneezing or a runny nose in those who are allergic to it.
According to the agency, male conifer trees disperse pollen during the spring season, the wind and insect movements transfer the pollen to female pinecones, and these female cones bear seeds.