Europe-wide study has provided ‘conclusive proof’ that climate change is responsible for spring arriving earlier each year, researchers say. Scientists from 17 nations examined 125,000 studies involving 561 species. The season was beginning on average six to eight days earlier than it did 30 years ago, researchers said. In regions such as Spain, which saw the greatest increases in temperatures, the season began up to two weeks earlier. The findings were based on what was described as the world’s largest study of changes in recurring natural events, such as when plants flowered. The team of researchers also found that the onset of autumn has been delayed by an average of three days over the same period. Feeling the heat The study, published in the journal Global Change Biology, provided conclusive proof that changes to the continent’s climate were affecting the timing of the seasons, the scientists said. One of the paper’s lead authors, Tim Sparks from the UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), said the findings did not go as far as pointing the finger of blame at human-induced climate change. ‘We can’t tell that from our study but experts […]