Warmer winters and more detailed mapping led the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make major changes to the plant hardiness zones that comprise a color-coded map of the United States telling gardeners and farmers what temperatures will hit their plants on the coldest winter nights.The zones are now shifted north, reflecting warmer winter temperatures during the last 30 years. USDA undersecretary Catherine Woteki on Wednesday downplayed the zone changes as evidence for climate change, a topic that inflames some conservatives in Congress.
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