We had very little rainfall this autumn. On October 22, the temperature was 88°F and it hadn’t rained in a month. I and others were helping Sierra Club volunteer Dave Mattek try to locate a good place for Mercer County to put a bridge to cross the Assunpink Creek to continue the State Long Trail, which will extend 383 miles from High Point to Cape May. As we crossed a field and cut our way through woods it was eerie that there were no grasshoppers, beetles, or butterflies–no bugs at all! Nor did we see any birds, for the simple reason there were no bugs to eat. Why would there be?
The cool nights and warm days were producing bright colors in the leaves. New Jerseyans were spared the hurricanes that devastated the South, but climate change has impacted New Jersey’s biodiversity—definitely.
There are other reasons for the lack of bugs. Before Hurricanes Helene and Milton came along, Earthjustice sued tire manufacturers on behalf of fishing groups to hold them accountable for the devastating impact of 6PPD in runoff, which kills insects and some fish, such as coho salmon. This chemical is used in agriculture as a fungicide and in tires to retard deterioration from heat, oxygen, and sunlight. The reaction with sunlight is believed to exacerbate the toxicity of 6PPD. The Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to regulate the use of 6PPD in tires in response.
Extreme dryness contributes to the development of forest fires. Forestry officials in New Jersey have issued many warnings about fire lately. Uncontrolled fires are also a bane to insects. Bugs are pushed in front of a fire and their predators swoop in for a feast. Did you know the New Jersey Forest Fire Service maintains a Facebook page? Tune in to find out about conditions across the state.
Some relief may be on the way. The Farmers’ Almanac forecast for 2024-25 predicts a winter season of rapid storms, bringing rain and snow with little time in between. This is predicted to begin with the solstice on Saturday, December 21.
High temperatures have affected the propagation of plants and trees, whose seeds often require long-term cold winter temperatures before they can germinate, a process known as winter stratification. Oaks are beneficial to hundreds of species of plants, but their acorns need stratification to grow.
Last year, CNN reported that the world’s oldest moss, Takakia, has persisted in some of the Earth’s most extreme environments for millions of years. Even though this ancient plant is one of the fastest-evolving species of moss known to science, it may not survive the climate crisis. It is specially adapted to survive heavy snowfall, but without this, it is exposed to more UV radiation than it can tolerate.
In June, the Biden administration announced plans to protect old growth forests, noting they store huge amounts of carbon and can help enormously in mitigating climate change.
In sum, good conservation practices and protecting our plants and wildlife are good for our climate and our own survival.
The weather will be what it is until it changes. There are solutions. I am doing my best to help.