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Plant Phenological “Fingerprints”

Detection of Climate Change Impacts

  • Chapter
Phenology: An Integrative Environmental Science

Part of the book series: Tasks for Vegetation Science ((TAVS,volume 39))

Abstract

Observation of phenological phases is probably the simplest way to track changes in the ecology of species in response to climate change. Other possible responses, such as altered species distribution, population sizes, and community composition, will be much harder and more expensive to detect (Walther et al. 2002). Thus, during recent years, phenology has received increasing attention as a bio-indicator for Global Change. “Snow drops as bearer of bad tidings” was, for example, the title of an article about climate change in a German newspaper in January 2002. Phenology seems to be an ideal climate indicator at regional, national, and international levels, because it is easily understood by the general public, allows the study of changes at a smaller scale, raises awareness of climate change issues, engages the public in the climate change debate, and reconnects people with their natural world (Sparks and Smithers 2002). However, the scientific community also welcomes phenology as a tool for global change research. Among others, the length of the growing season and phenological phases are proposed by the European Environment Agency as global change indicators.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, TU Munich, Freising, Germany

    Annette Menzel

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  1. Annette Menzel
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Mark D. Schwartz

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© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Menzel, A. (2003). Plant Phenological “Fingerprints”. In: Schwartz, M.D. (eds) Phenology: An Integrative Environmental Science. Tasks for Vegetation Science, vol 39. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0632-3_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0632-3_20

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-1580-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-0632-3

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