Discussion

With evidence that 43 species in Massachusetts are flowering earlier due to rising temperatures, other regions throughout the United States or globally may see similar results. A meta analysis was conducted to determine the effects of climate change on both flowering plants and animals. This analysis also showed that there was a shift in phenological process that mirrors the expected outcome predicted using prior knowledge of ecological constraints on individual species (Root, Price, Hall, et al. 2003). This information can be used to understand the results of the study done on the 43 species in Massachusetts and the global implications it indicates.