The problem with climate change is not just temperature, it is also the rate of climate change today.

Historically, climate change on Earth has usually occurred in tens of millions to millions of years. Today, global temperatures rise by about 0.36 degrees Fahrenheit (0.2 degrees Celsius) every decade.

Imagine a car driving. Over time, human activities such as burning fossil fuels have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases capture the heat of the sun. It's like pressing the gas pedal. The faster the driver adds gasoline, the faster the car is.

The speed of climate change in the 21st century has accelerated sharply, and the global temperature rises more than three times that of the last century.

Faster speeds and higher temperatures are changing the habitat range of animals and plants. In some areas, the rate of change also abandons the delicate timing of pollination, putting plants and pollinators such as bees at risk.

Some species are already migrating

Most animal and plant species can tolerate or at least recover from climate change, such as heat waves. However, when the change lasts longer, the organism may need to migrate to new areas to accommodate survival.

Some species have already turned toward higher latitudes and altitudes at lower temperatures, changing their geographical areas to maintain their optimal climate. For example, as ocean temperatures rise, fish populations have turned to the two poles.

Pollinators such as bees can also change their range.

For example, bumblebee adapts to colder areas due to its blurry body. Some bumblebee populations have disappeared from the southern part of their geographical range and are found in cooler areas in the north and more mountainous areas. This may increase competition with existing bumblebee populations.

Plants and pollinators can get rid of synchronous

As the rate of climate change increases, plants and their pollinators face another problem: many plants rely on insects and other animals to spread seeds and pollen.

Most of the pollen dispersion is done by local pollinators. About 75% of plant species in North America require insect pollinators - bees, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, birds and bats. In fact, according to the USDA, 1 of the food you eat depends on the pollinator.

Therefore, even if a species successfully migrates to a new field, it may face a time of mismatch in pollination time. This is called a mismatch in matter states.

In winter, insects enter hibernation, called diapause, migrate or occupy shelter in underground, rocks or leaves. These insect pollinators use temperature and daylight length as tips when they occur or when they migrate to spring and summer habitats.

As the rate of climate change increases, there is a chance that the timing mismatch between pollinators and pollinated plants.

As the temperature rises, many plants bloom early in spring. If a bee or other pollinator appears during its "normal" time, the flowers may already be blooming, reducing the chance of pollination.

If pollinators appear too early, they may struggle to survive if they are not yet available for ordinary food sources. For example, native bees rely on pollen to grow and reproduce many of the proteins they need.

Wild bees appeared earlier

Bees in the United States have already undergone this shift in timing

Research shows that wild bees that have appeared in the United States for 10.4 days in the past 130 years, and their speed is accelerating.

A study found that wild bees throughout the species have been changing the timing of their phenology or seasonal activity, with dates of occurrence four times faster in the past 50 years. This means wild bees appear about eight days before 2020 than in 1970.

This trend that emerged early is often consistent among organisms whose climate change speed is accelerating. If the timing mismatch continues to worsen, it may exacerbate the decline in pollinator populations and lead to underpollination of pollination in plants that rely on them.

A recent study found that the decline in pollinator and underpollination already accounted for 3% to 5% of global fruit, vegetable, spice and nut production.

Without pollinators, ecosystems will be smaller—they cannot absorb wildfires, adapt to changes in interference, and recover from environmental stressors such as pollution, drought or floods.

Manage climate change

Pollinators face many other risks in human activities, including habitat loss development and harm caused by pesticide use. Climate change adds to this list.

Taking steps to reduce activities that drive global warming can help these species thrive and play their own role in nature.