Spring ephemerals in the Central Appalachians are a key component of deciduous forest communities and can be indicators of shifting phenology due to climate changes in this ecosystem. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine if there have been any changes in date of flowering for the Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) and Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) in West Virginia over the last 111 years; (2) determine which climatic factors affect the blooming date of these perennial, spring ephemeral wildflowers; and (3) evaluate the effect of elevation on changing blooming dates using herbarium specimens and photographs from 1904 to 2015. Both species are widespread throughout the woodlands of eastern North America. Both species have significantly advanced their spring flowering over the last century (x = 0.91 days/decade). Spring temperature was the strongest predictor of blooming date (2.91 and 3.44 days earlier/1°C increase in spring temperature, respectively). Flowers at \ 500 m elevation bloomed earlier and demonstrated a stronger shift in flowering date over time than flowers at [ 1000 m elevations. Lower elevations, higher spring and winter temperatures, and low amounts of precipitation were associated with earlier spring flowering. This research demonstrates the plasticity of phenological response to a variety of climatic variables, the usefulness of using herbarium specimens to reconstruct flowering dates over a topographically variable area, and the contrasting effects of climate change on high elevation regions of West Virginia.
There has been an increased effort to utilize untapped sources of historical phenological data such as museum specimens, journals written by nature-minded citizens, and dated photographs through local phenology projects for climate change research. Local phenology projects have contributed greatly to our current understanding of phenological changes over time and have an important role in the public's engagement with natural history, but there are also significant challenges in finding and analyzing historical data. The West Virginia Climate History Project collected historical phenology data (1890-2015) from citizens in West Virginia with scientific and cultural results. We discuss the development of the project, issues we overcame, recommendations for future projects, and the conservation value of local phenology projects. Local phenology projects lend value to climate change research and conservation education. Policy directed towards supporting humanities grants and museum collections, including herbariums, is crucial in the success of these projects.
Historical Phenology of West Virginia: 130 Years of Spring Avian Migration and Wildflower Blooming Lori Petrauski Phenology, or the study of biological cycles in relation to the seasons, is a useful approach to study climate change and its effects on species. Analyzing historical records of phenology can give clues to understanding the future of ecosystems in relation to climate change. Specifically, using untapped sources of historical phenological data such as museum specimens, journals written by nature-minded citizens, and dated photographs can expand our temporal range of phenology data and provide a baseline with which to compare current phenology observations. There is no central database for historical phenology data in West Virginia and there has been little research about the phenology of plants and animals in the state. The primary research objective of this study was to determine if phenophases of plants and animals have advanced in timing in West Virginia using historical sources. This question was addressed by creation of the West Virginia Climate History Project, which began in January 2015, with the goal to gather phenological information from archival sources in West Virginia, which resulted in scientifically and culturally relevant conclusions. This information was used to analyze patterns of avian spring migration and wildflower blooming over the last 130 years. The average avian migrant has advanced its spring arrival by 1.7 days per decade over the last 127 years. Arrival dates were associated with increasing spring temperaturesfor each 1 o C increase in spring temperature, arrival date advanced by 0.81 days/decade. Several life history traits were linked to species that advanced their first arrival dates, including a shorter distance migrated to reach wintering grounds, increasing populations, and foraging habitat. Two common spring ephemeral wildflowers, Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) and Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum), have advanced their spring blooming in West Virginia over the last 125 years (× ̅ = 1.01 days/decade). Spring temperature was the strongest predictor of blooming date (2.91 and 3.57 days earlier/1°C increase in spring temperature, respectively). Flowers at < 500 m elevation bloomed earlier and demonstrated a stronger shift in flowering date over time than flowers at > 1000 m elevations. This study demonstrates the plasticity of responses of some avian and wildflower species and highlights several factors that could lead to increased risk to other species due to climate change. These studies have also demonstrated the usefulness of archival sources to phenological and climate change studies, even over a large, variable geographic area.
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