Report on Floral Morphology as an Indicator for Climate Action (SDG 13)

Floral morphology serves as a critical bio-indicator of local and global climate conditions, providing tangible evidence of environmental shifts relevant to Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The physical characteristics of flowers, including petal pigmentation, size, and ultraviolet-absorbing pigments, are directly influenced by climatic variables such as temperature, precipitation, and ozone levels. Understanding these changes is essential for monitoring the impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems.

Project Overview: “Plant Futures” and its Alignment with Global Goals

The “Plant Futures” artistic research project provides a data-driven visualization of potential botanical evolution in response to climate change. The project models the morphological adaptations of a single flower species, Circaea alpina, for each year from 2023 to 2100. This initiative directly supports several Sustainable Development Goals by translating complex climate projection data into an accessible visual narrative, thereby fostering public awareness and engagement.

Objective and Scope

The primary objective is to illustrate the long-term, complex impacts of a warming world on biodiversity, specifically focusing on the delicate habitat of Circaea alpina in Finland’s Haltiala forest. The project speculates on the adaptive traits the flower might develop to survive environmental stressors, such as the decline of its protective spruce canopy and the drying of its moist habitat. This work underscores the urgency of protecting biodiversity as outlined in SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Sustainable Development (SDG 17)

In alignment with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), the project was developed through a collaboration between an artist, a biologist, and a data artist. This partnership combined ecological research, historical botanical analysis from the Luomus Botanical Collections, and advanced data visualization techniques to create a scientifically grounded yet artistically compelling forecast of climate change impacts.

Methodology: Data-Driven Visualization for Environmental Education (SDG 4 & SDG 9)

The project’s methodology integrates scientific research with innovative technology, contributing to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). The creation of the future flower models involved a multi-step, data-driven process.

Research and Data Collection

Initial research involved studying historical Circaea samples dating back to 1906 to establish correlations between past climate conditions and floral characteristics. This historical baseline was combined with contemporary ecological studies and future climate projection data to inform the visualization model.

Algorithmic Modeling and 3D Visualization

A 3D model of the Circaea alpina was created based on its current morphology. Using the Nodes.io platform, physical parameters of the flower were algorithmically mapped to shift in response to climate data variables. This innovative approach allows for a dynamic representation of botanical adaptation over time.

Key Findings: Projected Botanical Adaptations and SDG Implications

The project’s visualizations reveal a series of potential adaptations in the Circaea alpina, directly reflecting the escalating environmental pressures projected throughout the 21st century. These findings serve as a stark warning regarding the challenges to SDG 13 and SDG 15.

Morphological Changes as a Response to Climate Stressors

• Color and Pigmentation: Petal color shifts toward red due to an increase in anthocyanins, which are photoprotectants that help plants tolerate drought stress. The size and intensity of the flower’s ultraviolet pigment pattern increase in response to higher ozone levels and solar radiation.
• Size and Structure: Flower size is projected to increase in response to higher levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide and rising temperatures.
• Double Bloom: The appearance of a second layer of petals, or a “double bloom,” is mapped to periods of high uncertainty in climate model projections, symbolizing a response to unpredictable weather conditions.
• Vein Density: A higher density of veins in the petals may emerge as a strategy to improve water transport during droughts or to attract pollinators as air quality degradation impacts scent transmission.

Chronological Projections (2025-2100)

1. 2025: The flower appears slightly larger due to a warmer summer but remains largely typical in its morphology.
2. 2064: A significant increase in size and petal count is observed, driven by higher CO2 and temperatures. The UV pigment pattern becomes larger and less defined due to increased ozone. A double bloom reflects growing climate model uncertainty.
3. 2074: The flower becomes visibly pinker as an antioxidative response to consecutive dry days. Its size continues to increase, and the double bloom persists amid ongoing climate projection uncertainty.
4. 2100: Veins become densely packed, suggesting an advanced adaptation for water transport during droughts. This complex morphology highlights a multifaceted strategy for survival in a significantly altered climate.

Conclusion: Art, Science, and the Urgency for Life on Land (SDG 15)

The “Plant Futures” project effectively demonstrates how artistic visualization, grounded in scientific data, can serve as a powerful tool for communicating the profound ecological consequences of climate change. By illustrating the potential future of a single species, the project highlights the broader threat to global biodiversity and the critical importance of immediate and sustained efforts to achieve the targets of SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The speculative flowers act as a tangible, year-by-year forecast of the consequences of inaction, urging a collective response to protect our planet’s fragile ecosystems.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article is fundamentally about climate change and its tangible impacts. It discusses how rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, increased CO2 levels, and higher ozone levels directly affect the morphology and survival of plant species. The “Plant Futures” project visualizes these impacts, making it a direct commentary on the urgency of climate action.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  This goal is addressed through the article’s focus on a specific terrestrial ecosystem—the Haltiala forest—and a particular species, Circaea alpina. It explores the threats to biodiversity and natural habitats, such as the decline of the spruce population that the flower depends on, and examines how a species might adapt or struggle to survive in the face of environmental degradation caused by climate change.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article describes an “artistic research project” that uses data visualization to educate and raise awareness. By creating speculative flowers for each year until 2100, the project serves as an educational tool to help the public “reflect on the complex, long-term impacts of our warming world,” thereby promoting education for sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

   The “Plant Futures” project is a direct embodiment of this target. It is an innovative awareness-raising initiative that translates complex climate projection data into an accessible and evocative visual form. The project’s stated goal to “invite us to reflect on the complex, long-term impacts of our warming world” aligns perfectly with improving education and capacity on climate change impacts.

2. Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

   The article highlights the vulnerability of the Circaea alpina and its habitat. It notes that the flower’s survival is linked to the spruce population, which is “declining in the face of new forest pathogens,” a situation exacerbated by climate change. The project’s central question—”how might the flower adapt in order to survive?”—underscores the urgent threat of habitat degradation and potential biodiversity loss.

3. Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development…

   The project described in the article functions as a form of “education for sustainable development.” By combining art, biology, and data science, it provides knowledge about the interconnectedness of climate, ecosystems, and biodiversity. It makes abstract climate data tangible, helping learners understand the real-world consequences of environmental changes.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions and implies several specific indicators that are used within the project to measure and visualize the effects of climate change. These serve as proxies for tracking environmental health and the impacts related to the SDG targets.

• Climate Change Indicators:

  These are the data points the project uses to model the future, directly relating to monitoring climate change (SDG 13).

  • Temperature changes (e.g., “a warm year,” “higher temperatures”)
  • Precipitation patterns (e.g., “a dry year,” “consecutive dry days,” “droughts”)
  • Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels
  • Ozone levels and solar radiation

• Biological and Ecosystem Response Indicators:

  These are the observed and projected changes in the flower, which act as indicators of ecosystem stress and adaptation, relevant to monitoring biodiversity and habitat health (SDG 15).

  • Petal Pigmentation: Changes in color (e.g., “shifts toward red,” “becomes pinker”) as a response to stress from drought and heat.
  • Flower Size: An increase in size is linked to warmer temperatures and higher CO2 levels.
  • UV Pigment Levels: The size of the “bull’s-eye pattern” increases with higher ozone levels to protect pollen.
  • Morphological Changes: The development of a “double bloom” (a second layer of petals) in response to climate uncertainty and densely packed veins to improve water transport during droughts.
  • Species Abundance: The observation that Circaea alpina “has become more common as temperatures have risen.”
  • Habitat Health: The “declining” spruce population, which provides the necessary shade and moisture for the flower.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: technologyreview.com