Researchers from Kyushu University and the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute have developed a new model that predicts the timing of cherry blossom flowering based on gene activity ,the study focuses on Japan’s most famous cherry tree cultivar, Somei Yoshino, whose flowering times are becoming increasingly difficult to predict due to climate change. Cherry blossoms in Japan are celebrated every spring, with festivals and trips organized around their bloom. However, predicting when these trees will flower is complicated because the buds must pass through two dormancy phases: endodormancy, which requires a period of cold temperatures in winter, and ecodormancy, which needs warmth in spring. As temperatures fluctuate due to climate change, forecasting the exact bloom time becomes less reliable.
The researchers studied Yoshino cherry trees in three locations across Japan, collecting leaf and bud samples from October. By analyzing the functions of sleep-related genes, especially a group called DAM genes, it was found that DAM4 plays an important role in maintaining the sleep glands. They found that trees needed 61 days of temperatures below 10.1 °C to become drought-damaged. Their model showed that from 1990 to 2020, global warming delayed the onset of thyroid cancer by 2.3 days per decade. This new method of monitoring gene expression can improve the accuracy of cherry blossom forecasts, which are eagerly awaited by locals and tourists alike. Importantly, the findings highlight the threat posed by global warming to cherry blossoms, particularly in the southern regions of Japan, where warming winters prevent trees that are affected by the coolness necessary for flowering. As climate change continues, the researchers hope to further develop their model and examine how rising temperatures will affect the future of species. cherry blossoms in Japan. Developing strategies to reduce these effects is necessary to maintain this characteristic of the spring.