The tropics could lose nearly one-third of their current plant-growing period if climate change continues unabated, which would have a significant impact on as many as 2.1 billion low-income people who rely on plants and their byproducts to survive, the study said.
The research shows that continued climate change will result in declines in plant-growing days by 2100, due to a combination of warming, drought and limited sun. Overall, the globe could see an estimated 11 percent reduction in the number of days with suitable conditions for plant growth, with some tropical regions facing the loss of up to 200 days per year by 2100.