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opencc-zeroDec 2019View details →

Host plant phenology, insect outbreaks and herbivore communities – the importance of timing

1. Climate change may alter the dynamics of outbreak species by changing the phenological synchrony between herbivores and their host plants. As host plant phenology has a genotypic component that may interact with climate, infestation levels among genotypes might change accordingly. When the outbreaking herbivore is active early in the season, its infestation levels may also leave a detectable imprint on herbivores colonizing the plant later in the season. 2. In this study, we first investigated how the spring phenology and genotype of Quercus robur influenced the density of the spring-active, outbreaking leaf miner Acrocercops brongniardellus. We then assessed how intraspecific density affected the performance of A. brongniardellus and how oak genotype and density of A. brongniardellus affected the insect herbivore community. 3. We found that Q. robur individuals of late spring phenology were more strongly infested by A. brongniardellus. Conspecific pupae on heavily infested oaks tended to be lighter, and fewer heterospecific insect herbivores colonized the oak later in the season. Beyond its effects through phenology, plant genotype left an imprint on herbivore species richness and on two insect herbivores. 4. Our results suggest a chain of knock-on effects from plant phenology, through the outbreaking species to the insect herbivore community. Given the finding of how phenological synchrony between the outbreak species and its host plant influences infestation levels, a shift in synchrony may then change outbreak dynamics and cause cascading effects on the insect community. 29-Oct-2019

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Asymmetric winter warming advanced plant phenology to a greater extent than symmetric warming in an alpine meadow

The warming of terrestrial high-latitude ecosystems, while increasing, will likely be asymmetric across seasons – where winter non-growing seasons will warm more than summer growing seasons. Asymmetric winter warming in temperature-sensitive ecosystems may delay spring phenological events by reducing the opportunity that a plants' chilling requirement is met. Similarly, symmetric warming can advance spring phenology. To explore the impact of asymmetric warming on plant phenology, we applied a year-round warming and a winter warming treatment to our experimental plots. Over a two-year period, we monitored leaf-out and flowering phenology for 11 plant species. There was variation among species, however, both winter and year-round warming, advanced the leaf-out day and the first flowering day relative to the control treatment. Winter warming advanced leaf-out and flowering phenology by 11.1 (± 2.4) and 12.6 (± 2.9) days, respectively. However, year-round warming had less of an impact advancing leaf-out and flowering phenology by 5.1 (± 2.1) and 10.0 (± 3.0) days, respectively. Our study provides direct evidence that asymmetric winter warming has a larger impact on plant phenology than symmetric year-round warming. Increasing soil temperature in the winter from below to above freezing temperatures advanced the spring phenology of alpine plants. Winter warming increased soil temperature more than year-round warming, which explains why phenology advanced under winter warming more than under year-round warming. In addition, early or mid-season flowering plant species displayed different phenology strategies in warmer winters. Synthesis: Relative to other ecosystems, alpine ecosystems such as the Tibetan Plateau will likely respond to asymmetric warming given the higher amplitude of winter temperature increases due to climatic warming thus seasonal variation in warming should be considered when predicting and modelling the response of alpine ecosystems to climatic change.

opencc-zeroMay 2019View details →

Data from: When spring ephemerals fail to meet pollinators: mechanism of phenological mismatch and its impact on plant reproduction

The flowering phenology of early-blooming plants is largely determined by snowmelt timing in high-latitude and high-altitude ecosystems. When the synchrony of flowering and pollinator emergence is disturbed by climate change, seed production may be restricted due to insufficient pollination success. We revealed the mechanism of phenological mismatch between a spring ephemeral (Corydalis ambigua) and its pollinator (overwintered bumble bees), and its impact on plant reproduction, based on 19 years of monitoring and a snow removal experiment in a cool-temperate forest in northern Japan. Early snowmelt increased the risk of phenological mismatch under natural conditions. Seed production was limited by pollination success over the three years of pollination experiment and decreased when flowering occurred prior to bee emergence. Similar trends were detected on modification of flowering phenology through snow removal. Following snowmelt, the length of the pre-flowering period strongly depended on the ambient surface temperature, ranging from 4 days (at >7ºC) to 26 days (at 2.5ºC). Flowering onset was explained with an accumulated surface degree-day model. Bumble bees emerged when soil temperature reached 6ºC, which was predictable by an accumulated soil degree-day model, although foraging activity after emergence might depend on air temperature. These results indicate that phenological mismatch tends to occur when snow melts early but subsequent soil warming progresses slowly. Thus, modification of the snowmelt regime could be a major driver disturbing spring phenology in northern ecosystems.

opencc-zeroDec 2012View details →

Data from: Biodiversity ensures plant-pollinator phenological synchrony against climate change

Climate change has the potential to alter the phenological synchrony between interacting mutualists, such as plants and their pollinators. However, high levels of biodiversity might buffer the negative effects of species-specific phenological shifts and maintain synchrony at the community level, as predicted by the biodiversity insurance hypothesis. Here, we explore how biodiversity might enhance and stabilise phenological synchrony between a valuable crop, apple and its native pollinators. We combine 46 years of data on apple flowering phenology with historical records of bee pollinators over the same period. When the key apple pollinators are considered altogether, we found extensive synchrony between bee activity and apple peak bloom due to complementarity among bee species' activity periods, and also a stable trend over time due to differential responses to warming climate among bee species. A simulation model confirms that high biodiversity levels can ensure plant–pollinator phenological synchrony and thus pollination function.

opencc-by-4.0Sep 2019View details →

Chronicle of Nature - Phenology of Plants of Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve of the Ministry of Natural Resources

Plants Phenology dataset compiled in the context of Chronicle of Nature program in Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve of the Ministry of Natural Resources (Russian Federation) consisting of 23710 records collected during 67 years between 1928 and 2000.

opencc-by-4.0May 2020View details →

Phenology of Plants of Ekaterinburg

Phenology of Plants dataset of Ural State Pedagogical University (Russian Federation) consisting of 405 records collected during 43 years between 1975 and 2017.

FIGURE 5 in Distribution, phenology and host plants of Danish bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea)

FIGURE 5. Plant families visited by Danish bees. Only families represented by more than 250 host records in the database are shown. Other families (25%) include 44 different plant families. Legend is sorted clockwise from the chart.

FIGURE 4 in Distribution, phenology and host plants of Danish bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea)

FIGURE 4. Ten most visited plant genera by Danish bees. Legend is sorted clockwise from the chart and is percentage of total plant records.

FIGURE 3 in Distribution, phenology and host plants of Danish bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea)

FIGURE 3. Total number of bee individuals for each sex recorded as a function of half-month ((days 1-15 and days 16-31)) from January (J) through December (D). Peak season for bees in Denmark is from late May to early August, however, they can be found active from February 29 until October 21.

FIGURE 2 in Distribution, phenology and host plants of Danish bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea)

FIGURE 2. Collection coverage of the Danish UTM-10 squares based on bees collected in Denmark from 1775 to 2014. The symbols indicate whether the species are found only in 1974 or earlier (grey triangles), 1975 or later (circles), or in both periods (black squares).

FIGURE 1 in Distribution, phenology and host plants of Danish bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea)

FIGURE 1. Division of Denmark into 11 faunistic districts. Abbreviations for the 11 faunistic districts are: Sønderjylland/ South Jutland (SJ), Østjylland/East Jutland incl. Anholt (EJ), Vestjylland/West Jutland (WJ), Nordvestjylland/Northwest Jutland (NWJ), Nordøstjylland/Northeast Jutland incl. Laesø (NEJ), Fyn/Funen and surrounding islands (F), Lolland, Falster and Møn (LFM), Sydsjaelland/South Zealand (SZ), Nordvestsjaelland/Northwest Zealand incl. Hesselø (NWZ), Nordøstsjaelland/Northeast Zealand (NEZ) and Bornholm (B). District borders are based on Enghoff and Nielsen (1977).

opencc-zeroNov 2021View details →

Effects of temperature on seed dormancy and germination of the coastal dune plant Viola grayi: Germination phenology and responses to winter warming

PREMISE: In temperate sand dunes, rising air temperature owing to climate change could not only further elevate surface soil temperatures during summers but also drastically change the range of soil temperatures in other seasons. Winter warming may shift the timing of seed germination of dune species that require cold stratification for dormancy release. METHODS: We assessed the effects of temperature on dormancy and germination of Viola grayi seeds and evaluated whether winter warming could affect its germination phenology by conducting germination experiments and analyzing soil temperature data in cold and warm winters. RESULTS: Viola grayi seeds were dormant when dispersed in spring. One-month moist-chilling treatment (4°C) effectively released dormancy, while short, intermittent lower temperatures (alternating 20/5°C) did not. Continuous higher temperatures induced secondary dormancy in non-dormant seeds. During a cold, snowy winter, the surface soil temperatures of the sand dune remained at 0–2°C for approximately one month owing to the accumulated snow, while the period of such stable low soil temperatures was much shorter during a warm, less snowy winter, and the highest soil temperature class reached 20–25°C. These results suggest that dispersed seeds germinate in the following spring after winter chilling, but they may remain dormant after warm winters. CONCLUSIONS: With winter warming, prolonged seed dormancy and associated germination delay could occur in V. grayi seeds. Assessing the minimum requirements for dormancy release and the potential to form persistent soil seed banks is important for judging the necessity and urgency of conservation efforts for temperate dune species.

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

A specialist bee and its host plants experience phenological shifts at different rates in response to climate change

Changes in climate can alter the phenology of organisms, potentially decoupling partners within mutualisms. Previous studies have shown that plant and pollinator phenologies are shifting over time, but these shifts have primarily been documented for generalists and within small geographic regions, and the specific climatic cues regulating these shifts are not well-understood. We examined phenological shifts in a specialist pollinator and its host plant species over a 117-year study period using a digitized dataset of over 4,000 unique collection records. We assess how climatic cues regulate these organisms' phenologies using PRISM weather data associated with each record. We tested the hypothesis that rates of phenological change would be greater at northern latitudes. We found that the phenology of the specialist bee pollinator Habropoda laboriosa is changing over time, but at different rates across its range. Specifically, phenology is advancing to a greater degree in more northern populations, with increasing phenological advances of 0.04 days/year with each degree of latitude, and with a delay in phenology in more southern populations. In contrast, only one species in the host plant genus Vaccinium is experiencing phenological change over time. For this plant, rates of change are also variable across latitudes, but in a pattern opposite that of the bee; while phenology is advancing across its range, rates of advance are highest in more southern populations, with decreasing phenological advances of 0.01 days/year with each degree of latitude. The phenologies of both the bee and three of four Vaccinium spp. were regulated primarily by spring temperature, with phenologies overall advancing with increasing temperature, and with the strongest responses shown by the bee in northern populations. Our study provides partial support for the hypothesis that phenologies advance most at northern latitudes, but demonstrates that pollinators and plants do not adhere similarly to this prediction. Additionally, we illustrate the potential for phenological mismatch between a specialist pollinator and its host plants by showing that plants and pollinators are advancing their phenologies at different rates across space and time and with differing responses to changing climatic cues.

opencc-zeroJan 2022View details →

Southern hemisphere plants show more delays than advances in flowering phenology

This dataset is from the manuscript 'Southern hemisphere plants show more delays than advances in flowering phenology' whereby historic field data, modern field data and herbarium specimen data were used to determine if plants in Sydney, Australia were flowering earlier in the year through time. This dataset also contains meteorological data used to analyse the relationship between temperature or precipitation and flowering time shifts to work out if these long-term changes in flowering phenology were impacted by seasonal climate. Finally, this data also includes a data compilation from previous studies to determine whether species were advancing or regressing their flowering through time.

opencc-zeroMar 2022View details →

Larval parasitism in a specialist herbivore is explained by phenological synchrony and host plant availability

Parasitism is a key factor in the population dynamics of many herbivorous insects, although its impact on host populations varies widely, for instance, along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. Understanding the sources of geographical variation in host-parasitoid interactions is crucial for reliably predicting the future success of the interacting species under a context of global change. Here, we examine larval parasitism in the butterfly Aglais urticae in south-west Europe, where it is a mountain specialist. Larval nests were sampled over two years along altitudinal gradients in three Iberian mountain ranges, including the Sierra Nevada, home to its southernmost European population. Additional data on nettle condition and adult butterflies were obtained in the study areas. These data sources were used to investigate whether or not differences in parasitism rates are related to the geographical position and phenology of the host, and to the availability of the host plants. Phenological differences in the host populations between regions were related to the severity of summer drought and the corresponding differences in host plant availability. At the trailing-edge of its distribution, the butterfly's breeding season was restricted to the end of winter and spring, while in its northern Iberian range the season was prolonged until mid-summer. Although parasitism was an important source of mortality in all regions, parasitism rates and parasitoid richness were highest in the north and lowest in the south. Moreover, within a region, there was a notable increase in parasitism rates over time, which probably led to selection against an additional late-summer host generation in northern regions. Conversely, the shorter breeding season in Sierra Nevada resulted in a loss of synchrony between the host and one important late-season parasitoid, Sturmia bella, which may partly explain the high density of this butterfly species at the trailing-edge of its range. Our results support the key role of host phenology in accounting for differences in parasitism rates between populations. They also provide insights into how climate through host plant availability affects host phenology and, ultimately, the impact of parasitism on host populations.

Figure 4 in An exploratory study of bumble bee (Bombus) phenologies and plant interactions in agricultural landscapes in central Georgia, USA

Figure 4. Captures of Bombus a-f-p group averaged by week at three sites near Athens, Georgia, USA. HF = Durham Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, GA; WG = Woodland Gardens in Athens, GA; SV = Spring Valley EcoFarms in Athens, GA. No surveys were conducted during the week of 28 June due to a lack of available person-hours.

Figure 3 in An exploratory study of bumble bee (Bombus) phenologies and plant interactions in agricultural landscapes in central Georgia, USA

Figure 3. Bombus impatiens captures averaged by week at three sites near Athens, Georgia, USA. HF = Durham Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, GA; WG = Woodland Gardens in Athens, GA; SV = Spring Valley EcoFarms in Athens, GA. No surveys were conducted during the weeks of 28 June or 6 September due to a lack of available person-hours, or the weeks of 16–30 August due to inclement weather and/or insufficient number of bees observed. Average captures for B. impatiens are underrepresented during the following weeks due to limited supplies: 14 June, 12 July, 2 and 9 August, 9 August, 13 September, 4 October.

Figure 1 in An exploratory study of bumble bee (Bombus) phenologies and plant interactions in agricultural landscapes in central Georgia, USA

Figure 1. Bombus bimaculatus captures averaged per week at three sites near Athens, Georgia, USA. HF = Durham Horticulture Farm in Watkinsville, GA; WG = Woodland Gardens in Athens, GA; SV = Spring Valley EcoFarms in Athens, GA. This species was not captured during the week of 21 June. No surveys were conducted during the week of 28 June due to a lack of available personhours.

Figure 6 in An exploratory study of bumble bee (Bombus) phenologies and plant interactions in agricultural landscapes in central Georgia, USA

Figure 6. Average weekly captures of Bombus bimaculatus castes across three sites in 2010 near Athens, Georgia, USA. No individuals of this species were captured during the week of 21 June. No surveys were conducted during the week of 28 June due to a lack of available person-hours.

Figure 9 in An exploratory study of bumble bee (Bombus) phenologies and plant interactions in agricultural landscapes in central Georgia, USA

Figure 9. Average captures per week of Bombus griseocollis castes across three sites in 2010 near Athens, Georgia, USA. No surveys were conducted during the week of 28 June due to a lack of available person-hours. No individuals of this species were captured during the week of 26 July.