Climate Change and Tea

The sensitivity of tea plants to the environments in which they are grown is part of tea's appeal - connoisseurs can [blank] taste characteristics that can be attributed to growth conditions. But that also makes the crop vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Variations in temperature and precipitation are known to affect tea yield, as well as [blank] the complex balance of chemicals that gives the tea its flavor and potential health benefits. Although climate change affects each region differently, it influences tea yields across the [blank] by altering precipitation levels, increasing temperatures, shifting the timing of seasons, and encouraging insect pests. Climate change is pushing rainfall to extremes, leading to an overall decrease in precipitation but with more instances of drought and heavy rain. The intense rains cause erosion and waterlogging of the soil, which damages root development and reduces the yield of the tea plants. Higher temperatures enable insects that attack tea plants to survive winter, giving them more time in which to [blank] .