Divergent responses of leaf phenology to changing temperature among plant species and geographical regions

Abstract

Shifts in plants' phenophases caused by climate change can strongly affect the ecosystem structure and function. Temperature sensitivity, which is expressed as the date of phenological event change for per degree Celsius change of temperature (days °C−1), has been widely used to characterize the plants' responses to changed temperature. In this study, we analyzed the temperature sensitivity of leaf phenology (leaf unfolding date, LUD; leaf falling date, LFD) for more than 700 plant species based on the phenological observations at 56 sites in China from 1963 to 1988. Our results suggested significant spatial and interspecific variations in the responses of leaf phenology to changing temperature. Approximately 48.8% cases of LUD advanced significantly (p < 0.1) with the increasing spring temperature and 33.9% cases of LFD delayed significantly with increasing autumn temperature. The spring events were overall more sensitive to temperature than autumn events. Although the LUD of plants in warmer regions was more sensitive to changing temperature, the temperature sensitivities of LFD for plants in warmer regions were not significantly different from that for plants in cooler regions. Moreover, for spring phenology, many sites suggested higher temperature sensitivity for species that unfold their leaves earlier. For autumn phenology, species with later leaf‐falling dates were generally more sensitive to temperature. Differences in species' responses to temperature that caused the discrepant changes in species' growing season can strongly impact vegetation dynamic and ecosystem function, and thus should be considered more when predicting the effects of climate warming on the biosphere.

Tree Community Phenodynamics and Its Relationship with Climatic Conditions in a Lowland Tropical Rainforest

“…Accordingly, some degree of seasonality is often recorded for vegetative and reproductive phenophases in tropical forests at the community level, and the regulation of seasonality has been linked to oscillations in air temperature, photoperiod and precipitation [22,25,26] However, assessments of the phenodynamics based on community-structure parameters and its regulation by combined effects of proximate factors are still unresolved matters for tropical forests. As such, ground-based phenological data at the forest community level are important for statistical models of vegetation dynamics, by means of quantification of relationships with environmental descriptors (e.g., [26][27][28]). …”

New insights on plant phenological response to temperature revealed from long‐term widespread observations in China

“…In contrast to observations showing earlier spring plant phenology with global warming, numerous studies have also reported no response or even delays of spring phenophases (Bradley, Leopold, Ross, & Huffaker, 1999;Dorji et al, 2013;Sherry et al, 2007;Zhang, Tarpley, & Sullivan, 2007;Zhang et al, 2015Zhang et al, , 2016, and the concept of winter chilling has increasingly been used to explain these seemingly inconsistent plant phenological responses to increasing temperature (Basler & K€ orner, 2014;Cook, Wolkovich, & Parmesan, 2012;Primack et al, 2009). Several studies have reported that the requirements of winter chilling have to be fulfilled before a plant is able to respond to forcing temperatures for leaf unfolding (temperatures higher than the base temperature (e.g., 5°C) for thermal accumulation; Chuine, Cour, & Rousseau, 1998Kramer, 1994;Sarvas, 1974).…”

“…R eaumur's theory has been supported by many studies and has also been invoked to explain the earlier spring phenology with rising global temperature (Fitter & Fitter, 2002;Fu, Piao, et al, 2015;Menzel et al, 2006;Primack et al, 2009;Shen, Cong, & Cao, 2015;Shen et al, 2014;Zhang, Yuan, Liu, & Dong, 2016;Zhang, Yuan, Liu, Dong, & Fu, 2015). R eaumur's theory has been supported by many studies and has also been invoked to explain the earlier spring phenology with rising global temperature (Fitter & Fitter, 2002;Fu, Piao, et al, 2015;Menzel et al, 2006;Primack et al, 2009;Shen, Cong, & Cao, 2015;Shen et al, 2014;Zhang, Yuan, Liu, & Dong, 2016;Zhang, Yuan, Liu, Dong, & Fu, 2015).…”

“…Several studies have reported that the requirements of winter chilling have to be fulfilled before a plant is able to respond to forcing temperatures for leaf unfolding (temperatures higher than the base temperature (e.g., 5°C) for thermal accumulation; Chuine, Cour, & Rousseau, 1998Kramer, 1994;Sarvas, 1974). These conditions may slow down the release of dormancy, thereby delaying spring events or moderating the predicted shifts in spring phenology as a result of climate warming (Chuine, Morin, & Bugmann, 2010;Ellwood, Temple, Primack, Bradley, & Davis, 2013;Fu, Zhao, et al, 2015;Zhang et al, 2015Zhang et al, , 2016. These conditions may slow down the release of dormancy, thereby delaying spring events or moderating the predicted shifts in spring phenology as a result of climate warming (Chuine, Morin, & Bugmann, 2010;Ellwood, Temple, Primack, Bradley, & Davis, 2013;Fu, Zhao, et al, 2015;Zhang et al, 2015Zhang et al, , 2016.…”

A Novel Large-Scale Temperature Dominated Model for Predicting the End of the Growing Season

“…Moreover, it should be noted that the temperature threshold (TcritTm) of grassland was lower than that of woody species in the same latitudinal zone. This phenomenon might be related to the local climate and plant species[57]. …”