Climate change is changing winter weather patterns, both in temperature and in duration. Warmer and shorter winters are causing some species to sleep later, or not at all. Mammal expert David Polly, alumni fellow (1994-96) and biology professor at Indiana University, says that changes to plant hibernation can have far-reaching effects on ecosystems. “If their cycles get off sync, then the whole food web becomes involved in some of that complexity,” Polly said. “That’s probably what worries climate change biologists the most.” Read more on Indiana Public Media.
