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A new University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)-led analysis has unveiled insights into why and how plants are changing their makeup to survive warmer temperatures. Previously, scientists had strongly suspected that thermophilization—the phenomenon that plant species that prefer warmth are becoming more abundant, while those that prefer cooler temperatures are waning—was driven by a warming planet, but couldn't rule out other factors based on observations alone. 

Now, with data from six long-term experiments that controlled for other variables, the new study has confirmed that a warming climate is the cause of thermophilization. The researchers also found that a small number of species dominated the shifting temperature preference of an entire community. They believe this information can help land managers and conservationists help nature prepare for a warmer future. 

Kara Dobson, a postdoctoral research fellow with the SEAS Institute for Global Change Biology, is the lead author of the new report, and SEAS Associate Professor Kai Zhu is a corresponding author. Co-authors from U-M included SEAS doctoral student Jiali Zhu, former SEAS postdoctoral fellow Yiluan Song, and Peter Reich, a SEAS professor and director of the Institute for Global Change Biology. Collaborators from the University of Wisconsin, University of Minnesota and Utah State University also contributed to the research. 

Read the full press release on the Michigan News website.

Study: A few key species drive community thermophilization under experimental warming (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2533434123)