Changes in flowering phenology of Cardamine concatenata and Erythronium americanum over 111 years in the Central Appalachians

Abstract

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.

Drivers of population divergence and species differentiation in a recent group of indigenous orchids (Vanilla spp.) in Madagascar

“…Characterizing the mycorrhizal fungi in each of the studied populations could allow to verify this, as done on orchids in the Central Highlands of Madagascar (Yokoya et al., 2015). Species differentiation may also be related to the different phenology of the species, influenced by climatic and ecological conditions such as temperature and altitude (Petrauski et al., 2019; Sobel et al., 2009). Indeed, V. humblotii and V. perrieri have overlapping phenologies (November‐April and November‐December, respectively) (Allorge‐Boiteau, 2005; Portères, 1954), but V. bosseri and V. madagascariensis flower earlier (September–October and June–October, respectively) (Allorge‐Boiteau, 2005, 2013; Portères, 1954).…”

Phenological Trends in the California Poppy (Eschscholzia Californica): Digitized Herbarium Specimens Reveal Intraspecific Variation in the Sensitivity of Flowering Date to Climate Change

“…This indicates that water limitation may have played an important role in shaping the phenological sensitivities of E. californica to interannual climate variation, and water availability will likely shape the phenological impacts of future climate change. Given the species-and regionspecific effects of climate on phenological events (Petrauski et al 2019;Song et al 2020), more research is needed to investigate the relative importance of temperature and precipitation on California plants.…”

A resurrection study reveals limited evolution of phenology in response to recent climate change across the geographic range of the scarlet monkeyflower

“…Conversely, flowering too late may reduce seed count and prevent reproduction before the onset of winter (Totland, 1997). Flowering time has advanced with warmer temperatures (Petrauski et al., 2019) and drought (Franks et al., 2007). Under climate change, longer growing seasons may select for later flowering to allow more time for growth (Weis et al., 2014).…”