A new study reveals how plants have evolved to cope with the cold, but as VOA’s Rosanne Skirble reports, these same mechanisms may not provide the same defense against human-induced climate change in a rapidly warming world.
The Study of Plant Evolution
![A birch leaf turns a bright yellow as winter approaches, Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri. (Amy Zanne)](https://gdb.voanews.com/B5C539FA-59F8-402C-83DC-F4C6E09D4389_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A birch leaf turns a bright yellow as winter approaches, Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri. (Amy Zanne)
![Maple leaves change colors before they fall in Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC. (Amy Zanne)](https://gdb.voanews.com/067207B7-A74D-4660-B251-A2EAEEF3E995_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Maple leaves change colors before they fall in Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC. (Amy Zanne)
![Early winter brings out the reds and oranges on sugar maple trees at the Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. (Amy Zanne)](https://gdb.voanews.com/B2ABC4FE-E2A1-49CE-AF54-509AF62F20C0_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Early winter brings out the reds and oranges on sugar maple trees at the Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. (Amy Zanne)
![Buckeye leaves emerge in the spring after the winter frost at Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri. (Amy Zanne)](https://gdb.voanews.com/78AD6AEF-E0FC-453C-8485-6ADE160851DA_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Buckeye leaves emerge in the spring after the winter frost at Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri. (Amy Zanne)