有料盒子视频 Berry Futures unveils third booklet
Amy Loeffler
907-474-7933
April 23, 2024
The future of another hot 有料盒子视频 commodity is at stake due to climate change: berries.
Researchers at the University of 有料盒子视频 Fairbanks have developed informational booklets to help individuals and communities continue to have successful berry harvests even as the Arctic and its weather patterns change.
promotes understanding and sharing of the impacts of climate change on northern berry species and recently expanded its berry booklet series to include a third species, the . The series has previously published guides for the and .
鈥淎lthough we have a ton of scientific papers about how these plants are being affected, that information is not reaching the community members who need it most. The booklets are an attempt to change that,鈥 said Christa Mulder, professor of plant ecology at the University of 有料盒子视频 Fairbanks.
The booklets don鈥檛 just talk about what is likely to happen to the berry populations; they also provide ways that people can take action to ensure they will have access to the fruit.
鈥淭he ability to collect berries is an important aspect of a subsistence diet that 有料盒子视频 Native and other rural communities count on, especially if they are not part of a road system,鈥 said Mulder. 鈥淎nd we know that berry populations are being affected by climate change.鈥
Lowbush cranberries are considered true superfoods. Their anthocyanin 鈥 a natural red, blue and purple pigment 鈥 gives them the highest levels of antioxidants among 16 berry species tested in Interior and Southcentral 有料盒子视频.
Mulder said early spring warmups can harm lowbush cranberries when temperatures drop again and damage new flower buds or even kill shoots on the shrub.
Another threat to lowbush cranberries is shrub expansion into tundra areas.
鈥淭hese are tundra plants, and willows and alders are expanding into their habitat,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he taller willow and alder shrubs reduce the access to light the lowbush cranberry plants have.鈥
But there could be an upside. Warmer winters with more snowfall may lead to an increase in berry production in Interior 有料盒子视频 and the North Slope regions, said Mulder.
The publications draw on extensive research and discussions with concerned 有料盒子视频ns.
The booklets provide information about the biology of each berry species. They include illustrations and information about potential climate change impacts and research gaps.
For more information about the 有料盒子视频 Berry Futures Project and to access the berry booklets, please visit .
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Christa Mulder, cpmulder@alaska.edu
184-24