Shifting plant phenology in response to global change

Elsa E. Cleland, Isabelle Chuine, Annette Menzel, Harold A. Mooney, Mark D. Schwartz

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

1813 Scopus citations

Abstract

Plants are finely tuned to the seasonality of their environment, and shifts in the timing of plant activity (i.e. phenology) provide some of the most compelling evidence that species and ecosystems are being influenced by global environmental change. Researchers across disciplines have observed shifting phenology at multiple scales, including earlier spring flowering in individual plants and an earlier spring green-up' of the land surface revealed in satellite images. Experimental and modeling approaches have sought to identify the mechanisms causing these shifts, as well as to make predictions regarding the consequences. Here, we discuss recent advances in several fields that have enabled scaling between species responses to recent climatic changes and shifts in ecosystem productivity, with implications for global carbon cycling.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)357-365
Number of pages9
JournalTrends in Ecology and Evolution
Volume22
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2007

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