**Hold on to your maple syrup, because the climate crisis could take it away. Why? Well, because maple sap is made by weather; freezing temperatures at night create negative pressure that lets trees draw water up from their roots, then warmer days create positive pressure and the alternation between the two helps make their sugary sap. This mainly happens during a small window each year, making the most of that window relies on things like how well the tree’s roots are insulated and whether microbes block the taps.
However, some researchers are worried because the season is ending earlier by 2.5 to 5 days per degree of warming from the climate crisis, and if we miss that window, there’s just no syrup for that year. But we are not doomed to blend pancakes just yet; we can shift the tap season earlier to match with the sap season. It’s also possible that the sap flow will adapt to the changing climate, so syrup isn’t gone forever yet.**