Ecologists have said that the Tour of Flanders provides evidence of how climate change is affecting the natural world.
Researchers at Ghent University studied TV footage of the race, normally held at the start of April from the past four decades, The Ecologist reports.
Despite some tweaks over the years, over that period the race has taken in much of the same course and climbs.
What they found was that between 1981 and 2016, trend was that leaves were appearing on trees and flowers were blooming earlier in the year.
Their findings are published today in the journal, Methods in Ecology and Evolution, with researchers correlating the appearance of leaves and flowers on the course with data relating to climate
Prior to 1990, there were virtually no leaves to be seen on the trees lining the course, but gradually over the decades they can increasingly be seen in the TV footage.
Some species, and especially magnolia, hawthorn, hornbeam and birch trees, were observed to be already in full leaf,
According to the study, since 1980 average temperatures in Flanders have risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Professor Pieter De Frenne said: “Early-leafing trees can be good news for some species as they grow faster and produce more wood.
“However, their leaves also cast shadows. When trees flush earlier in the year, they shadow for a longer period of time, affecting other animals and plants, and even whole ecosystems.
“Some of the flowers growing under these trees may not be able to receive enough sunlight to bloom.
“As a result, insects can go without nectar and may struggle to find enough spots to sunbathe.”,
He added: “Our method could also be used to collect data on other aspects important for ecological or evolutionary research, such as tree health, water levels in rivers and lakes, and the spread of invasive species.
“Only by compiling data from the past will we be able to predict the future effects of climate change on species and ecosystems.”
UKIP seriously went for a candidate called Gammons? Satire is truly dead.
I see, so it's just incidental that this person was on a bike and these guys don't discriminate because they video themselves pushing over...
So presumably you use the cover whilst riding your bike too, lest these people, seeing that it is an actual bike you are riding, follow you home...
Where is your source for this information? You've already made yourself look like a tit on weight weenies and you've still not stated how you know...
They weren't doing it permanently though were they? Pretty much the whole point of the video!?
Re Close Pass initiative, have a look at the Facebook thread set up about this, Lancashire Police have devolved their contribution to the "Road...
I'm surprised you had difficulty with them. The Di2 cables were easy to route through - I just poked them through from the shifter holes and then...
Or perhaps, as has been widely reported, they simply can't get the stock due to a combination of COVID and Brexit....
Sadly this I believe is the case and it needs to be addressed.
I have the stripey Evoc bag - bought it on eBay for a bargain - a hundred and something quid when the retail price was in the three hundreds. I was...