Those who think climate change will benefit plants need to see the light, literally and figuratively," said Camilo Mora, an ecologist and assistant professor in the geography department at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and the study's lead author. "A narrow focus on the factors that influence plant growth has led to major underestimations of the potential impacts of climate change on plants, not only at higher latitudes but more severely in the tropics," he said. These impacts will expose "the world to dire consequences." [Animals and Plants Adapting to Climate Change]