unesp

Patrícia Morellato

Laboratório de Fenologia Phenology LaboratoryDepartamento de Botânica

UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo Brazil

Phenology, Networks and

Climatic Change

PHENOLOGY

“Phainestai”, the ancient Greek word meaning to show or to appear.

Modern phenology is the study of the timing of recurring biological

events in the animal and plant world, the causes of their timing with

regard to abiotic and biotic forces, and the interrelation among phases

of the same or different species.Following the definition of Lieth (1974), which goes back to Schnelle (1955).

“The scientific study of

periodic biological

phenomena, such as

flowering, breeding, and

migration, in relation to

climatic conditions.”The American Heritage Dictionary

WHY PHENOLOGY?

The timing of seasonal

activities of animals and plants

– is perhaps the simplest

process in which to track if

changes in ecology of species

is responging to climatic

changes

Starting flower of Horse

chestnut (Aesculus

hippocastanum) -

Wageningen,

Neederlands, from 1901

to 2000.

Phenology and Climatic Change

Dates of leaf bud burst of the

horse-chestnut in Geneva,

1808–2000. Smoothing:

Gauss low-pass filter with a

period of 20 years (extended

according to Defila 1996)

In recent years phenology has changed its image from a traditional

data collection to a very important integrative parameter to assess

the impact of climate change on ecosystems.

Long phenological data series, historical (legacy) data or those

originating from the plant-observation networks, have become the

basis of several climate change research projects

Actually, the observation networks are a priority and phenological

observations integrate several national meteorological services and

long term ecological projects

Phenology, Networks and Climatic Change

Action 725-Establishing a European Phenological Data

Platform for Climatological Applications

http://www.dow.wau.nl/msa/epn/education.asp

http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk

http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geography/npn/

PlantwatchCanadian Phenology Network

http://plantwatch.sunsite.ualberta.ca/

http://topshare.wur.nl/cost725

Observations

• Phenology Networks

• Legacy data sets

• Experimental sites

Measurements

• Remote sensing

• Near-surface

remote sensing

• Leaf Area Index

• Flux measurements

• Environmental parameters

Models

• Mechanistic models

• Prognostic phenology

• Statistical models

Phenology

Events & Phases

Tropical phenology has not contributed much for climatic

change research since the

• historical or legacy data sets are scarce or absent

• the lack of a restrictive season and of a distinctive

factor driving phenology

• High within site species diversity

make difficult the detection of changes over time.

One way to have insights on climate

driven phenology shifts on tropical

plants is through the comparison of

plant species phenology under

different environmental conditions.

Local Environment

Cannopy openess: Fisheye photos

Temperature , relative humidity

Tree density, next neighbor,

Canopy heigth,

interior

borda

Abiotic effects

Direct biotic effects

Indirect biotic effects

Edge effects include both abiotic and biological changes

on environmental conditions that likely affect plant

phenological patterns.

I. Machado

T. Nadia

Since local environmental

conditions and biological factors

affect plant reproductive

phenology, we expect that plant

phenological responses to edge

effects (such as increasing

temperature and dryness) may

be similar to some extent to shifts

induced by climatic change on

plant phenology

Study Site

Cerrado

EAST

SOUTH

EDGE INTERIOR

we monitored the reproductive

phenology of Miconia rubiginosa

(Melastomataceae) weekly on

edges and interiors facing east

(high light incidence) and south

(lower light incidence) of the

cerrado savanna.

(Andreu-Ureta 2005, Reys 2008)

Miconia ruibiginosa (Melastomataceae)

Miconia rubiginosa (Bonpl.)DC (Melastomataceae),

Comparisons of the reproductive phenology of Miconia rubiginosa, a common treelet at the study site,

between edges and interiors of a cerrado savanna vegetation in Southeastern Brazil during 2004

reproductive season (after Adreau-Ureta 2005). (a) and (b) Flowers and fruits of M. rubiginosa (photos by

M.G.G. Camargo); (c) and (d) Box-plot showing the median and standard deviation of the starting (left) and

peak (right) weeks of flowering (c) and fruiting (d) of M. rubiginosa on the edges and interiors (east faced and

south faced) of the cerrado savanna; (e) Comparison of temperature sum at the starting date of flowering

between forest edges and interiors; Threshold: 5 C; edge-interior temperature difference: 3 C.

Effects of cardinal orientation and light on the reproductive phenology of the

cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae)

whether local environment variability such as natural edges

along the river affect the reproductive phenology of Myrtaceae

natural edges affect the reproduction of Myrtaceae

0

10

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A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M

natural edge forest interiorOPEN FLOWER

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A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M

Perc

en

tag

e o

f sp

ecie

s

months

natural edge forest interior

2006 2007 2008 2009

RIPE FRUIT

Percentage of

Myrtaceae species

(n=46) flowering and

fruiting on the edge of

the Fazenda river, and in

the interior of the atlantic

rain forest at Parque

Estadual da Serra do

Mar, Núcleo Picinguaba,

Ubatuba, São Paulo

State, Brazil.

The blue shadow

represents the rainy

season (October to April)

whether local environment variability such as natural edges

along the river affects the reproductive phenology of Myrtaceae

Gomidesia blanchetiana

9,7% 52,7%

37,6%

Effective PollinatorsFlower visitors

INTERIOR

30,1%

58,2%

11,8%

Flower visitors

EDGE

Effective pollinators

%

Occasional Pollinators Occasional Pollinators

natural edges affect the reproduction of Myrtaceae

Observations

• Phenology Networks

• Legacy data sets

• Experimental sites

Measurements

• Remote sensing

• Near-surface

remote sensing

• Leaf Area Index

• Flux measurements

• Environmental parameters

Models

• Mechanistic models

• Prognostic phenology

• Statistical models

Phenology

Events & Phases

Observations

• Phenology Networks

• Legacy data sets

• Experimental sites

Measurements

• Remote sensing

• Near-surface

remote sensing

• Leaf Area Index

• Flux measurements

• Environmental parameters

Models

• Mechanistic models

• Prognostic phenology

• Statistical models

Phenology

Events & Phases

Remote phenology

e-phenology: The application of new

technologies to monitor plant phenology and

track climate changes in the tropics

(a) use of new technologies of environmental monitoring -

remote phenology monitoring systems;

(b) creation of a protocol for a Brazilian Network - long

term phenology monitoring program; and

(c) provide models, methods and algorithms to support

management, integration and analysis of remote

phenology data.

Monitoring local environment

Quantify temporal

(seasonal, annual) and

spatial patterns of variation

in phenology

• Interannual variation

• Across different ecosystems

• Correlate to environmental factors

Monitoring phenology with a network of wewbcams

Ju

ne 2

8

May 1

8

M

ay 1

A. Richardson website

Tower mounted webcams offer

great potential for quantifying

patterns of canopy phenology

across sites, without the need for

intensive field monitoring by an

observer.

PHENOCAM

http://phenocam.sr.unh.edu/

0,28

0,29

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lou

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rac

tio

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f R

OI_

1

DOY 2008

%_Red

%_Green

%_Blue

0,335

0,34

0,345

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0,355

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Co

lou

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rac

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DOY 2008

THANKS!

whether Myrtaceae reproductive phenology across sites is

constrained by phylogeny and what is the shared influence of

phylogeny and ecology on phenology

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D

Ano 1 Ano 2 Ano 3

Pre

cip

itação

(m

m)

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60

70

80

% d

e in

div

ídu

os

Precipitação Floração Frutificação

4

months

5

months

4

months

A late fruiting season

reduces the amount of

fruits available for

frugivoresLower seed dispesal, seed germination and

seedling establishment

Flowering is

displaced due to a

climatic change

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

rainfall flowering fruiting

pre

cip

itation

% o

f tr

ees

Global warming

Increase FrequencyEl Niño droughts ?

Less (dry season) rainfall Higher surface mperatures

Reduction in the % of species and trees fruiting

Synergic effects

Land use changes -Deforestation-Forest fragmentation

Plant-animal interactionsForest regenerationGenetic diversity

Less evapotranspirationEdge effects, fire, logging

Forest managementSustainable use of natural products

Climatic Change and Tropical Phenology