Synchrony is more than overlap: measuring phenological synchronization considering time length and intensity

Freitas, Leandro; Bolmgren, Kjell

doi:10.1590/s0100-84042008000400017

Cited by 35 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…1B) and ripe fruits with contrasting colors (Fig. 1E and F), which can facilitate their detection for pollinators and frugivores (Schaefer et al 2006, Freitas and Bolmgren 2008, Cazetta et al 2009), even when offered by a few isolated individuals. Moreover, the little synchrony may bring advantages in terms of escaping from predators and less competition for seed dispersers, leading to an increased plant reproductive success (Wheelwright 1985).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation on the reproductive phenology of the cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae)

Camargo

Souza

Reys

et al. 2011

An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc.

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The Brazilian cerrado has undergone an intense process of fragmentation, which leads to an increase in the number of remnants exposed to edge effects and associated changes on environmental conditions that may affect the phenology of plants. This study aimed to verify whether the reproductive phenology of Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) differs under different light conditions in a cerrado sensu stricto (a woody savanna) of southeastern Brazil. We compared the reproductive phenology of X. aromatica trees distributed on east and south cardinal faces of the cerrado during monthly observations, from January 2005 to December 2008. The east face had a higher light incidence, higher temperatures and canopy openness in relation to south face. X. aromatica showed seasonal reproduction at both faces of the cerrado, but the percentage of individuals, the synchrony and duration of phenophases were higher at the east face. The study demonstrated the influence of the environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation of the cerrado faces on the phenological pattern of X. aromatica. Similar responses may be observed for other species, ultimately affecting patterns of floral visitation and fruit production, which reinforces the importance of considering the cardinal direction in studies of edge effects and fragmentation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bolmgren 1998, Morellato 2004, Freitas and Bolmgren 2008. Studies considering the plant phenology of the cerrado savanna at species level are sparse (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation on the reproductive phenology of the cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae)

Camargo

Souza

Reys

et al. 2011

An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc.

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“…The degree of flowering and fruiting synchronisation is considered to have ecological and evolutionary relevance at several scales, from intra-individual sequence of flower opening to community-and landscape-wide interspecific patterns (Frankie et al 1974;Borchert et al 2005, Staggemeier et al 2010, and synchrony in flowering and fruiting may have ecological and evolutionary links to hybridisation, seeding, reproduction and competition for pollinators (Freitas and Bolmgren 2008;Staggemeier et al 2010). Elements of flowering, such as flowering duration, timing of start and finish of flowering, and monthly flowering probabilities characterise flowering patterns (Bawa et al 2003;Keatley and Hudson 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Self-Organising Maps (SOMs) to assess synchronies: an application to historical eucalypt flowering records

2011

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Self-Organising Map (SOM) clustering methods applied to the monthly and seasonal averaged flowering intensity records of eight Eucalypt species are shown to successfully quantify, visualise and model synchronisation of multivariate time series. The SOM algorithm converts complex, nonlinear relationships between high-dimensional data into simple networks and a map based on the most likely patterns in the multiplicity of time series that it trains. Monthly- and seasonal-based SOMs identified three synchronous species groups (clusters): E. camaldulensis, E. melliodora, E. polyanthemos; E. goniocalyx, E. microcarpa, E. macrorhyncha; and E. leucoxylon, E. tricarpa. The main factor in synchronisation (clustering) appears to be the season in which flowering commences. SOMs also identified the asynchronous relationship among the eight species. Hence, the likelihood of the production, or not, of hybrids between sympatric species is also identified. The SOM pattern-based correlation values mirror earlier synchrony statistics gleaned from Moran correlations obtained from the raw flowering records. Synchronisation of flowering is shown to be a complex mechanism that incorporates all the flowering characteristics: flowering duration, timing of peak flowering, of start and finishing of flowering, as well as possibly specific climate drivers for flowering. SOMs can accommodate for all this complexity and we advocate their use by phenologists and ecologists as a powerful, accessible and interpretable tool for visualisation and clustering of multivariate time series and for synchrony studies.

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“…In a strict sense, however, this method only measures the overlap in time among species rather than the real synchrony among them. Therefore, we applied the index S proposed by Freitas and Bolmgren (), which also measures the similarity of the intensity of the phenophase among overlapping individuals. Again, we adapted this method for application at the community level ( S’ ), measuring how flowering or fruiting of different species overlapped in both time and intensity (in this study, the proportion of flowering or fruiting plants).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reproductive phenology of submerged macrophytes: A tracker of year‐to‐year environmental variations

Calero

Rodrigo

2019

J Vegetation Science

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Aims Phenological shifts are useful trackers of climate change effects on species and communities, but few datasets focus on the climate‐driven phenological responses of aquatic ecosystem vegetation. We aimed to analyse the reproductive seasonality of a submerged macrophyte community, the synchrony among coexisting species, and their responses to several environmental factors. Location A Mediterranean coastal pond in Valencia, Spain. Methods We analysed three years of data on a submerged macrophyte community. Plants were collected biweekly or monthly (57 collection dates) to quantify the intensity of flowering/fruiting per species. The reproductive seasonality of the community was tested with circular statistics. The reproductive synchrony of species was calculated with the Augspurger and the Freitas and Bolmgren indexes. The environmental factors driving reproduction in macrophytes were analysed with redundancy analyses. Results The reproductive activity of the community was seasonal (peaking in spring–summer) or non‐seasonal (peaking in spring–summer and autumn) depending on the year‐to‐year variations of precipitations after the summer drought. The synchronization among species in flowering and fruiting (overlap in time and intensity) was low, because the species‐specific reproductive patterns were spread throughout the long Mediterranean growing season. Temperature, water level, and conductivity were the variables that best explained flowering variability in the community, indicating that these factors affected each species differently. Fruiting was temporally correlated to flowering, with different lags depending on the species life cycle. Conclusions The species‐specific responses suggest that a warming climate may act as an environmental filter, gradually changing the community structure. The reproductive phenology of submerged macrophytes could act as an early indicator of a changing climate, with charophytes (Characeae) as suitable tracker candidates. Further studies concerning their phenology are needed to assess the resilience of submerged macrophyte communities to drought and assure the long‐term functioning of Mediterranean aquatic ecosystems.

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Synchrony is more than overlap: measuring phenological synchronization considering time length and intensity

Cited by 35 publications

References 32 publications

Effects of environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation on the reproductive phenology of the cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae)

Effects of environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation on the reproductive phenology of the cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae)

Using Self-Organising Maps (SOMs) to assess synchronies: an application to historical eucalypt flowering records

Reproductive phenology of submerged macrophytes: A tracker of year‐to‐year environmental variations

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