The cherry blossom trees along the Gongguan Ditch in Chichang Borough of Yilan City have started to bloom pink flowers. Since the flowers should not be in bloom yet, people are curious about the early bloom. According to professor Lin Shu-tzong at the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, National Ilan University, the cherry blossom trees may have a “biological disorder” caused by climate change.
The cherry blossoms along the ditch in Chichang Borough used to bloom around the Lunar New Year, but they have started to bloom twice a year starting three years ago. In addition to their original blooming season, they also bloom in August and September. The disordered blossoming of the cherry blossoms have now become a topic of interest among local residents.
Tsai Tung-yi, chief of the irrigation section of the Yilan Irrigation Association, said that cherry blossoms are in full bloom around the Lunar New Year, but there are fewer blossoms in fall and their color is relatively light. Since the new blossoming season is shorter, those wishing to go and admire the cherry blossom should visit the area quickly.
Photo: Chiang Chih-hsiung, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者江志雄
As Lin examined the current cherry blossoms in Chichang Borough, he actually found out that the shape of the flowers have become somewhat irregular. This may be a result of the trees’ disorder caused by climate change. Such “atypical cherry blossoms” mostly bloom separately and rarely bloom in large numbers.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Eddy Chang)
宜蘭市七張社區公館圳旁櫻花樹群,陸續綻放粉紅色花朵,目前並非櫻花花期,櫻花樹開花,引人好奇;宜蘭大學森林暨自然資源學系教授林世宗研判,可能是天候異常,造成櫻花樹生理失調。
七張社區公館圳河畔的櫻花樹群,往年在春節前後盛開,三年前開始,一年開兩次花,除了春節花季,八、九月間也會開花,「櫻花亂亂開」成為居民茶餘飯後的話題。
宜蘭農田水利會水利小組長蔡東憶說,春節期間的櫻花季,花朵茂密且接續開花,秋天櫻花比較稀疏、顏色淡,此時的花期不長,賞櫻者動作要快。
林世宗檢視七張社區的秋天櫻花,發現花形有些異常,不排除是氣候變遷打亂櫻花樹生理時鐘所致,這種「非典型櫻花」多半零星綻放,不致於大規模開花。
(自由時報記者江志雄)
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