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Evidences of olive pollination date variations in relation to spring temperature trends

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Abstract

Airborne pollen concentration patterns reflect flowering phenology of a given species, and it may be a sensitive regional indicator in climate change studies. This paper presents the relationship between a strategic biological event, such as olive flowering, and the air temperature trend, registered over a large scale (1982–2007) in the Umbria region. The aim of the study was to determine relationships between phenological behaviour (flowering) of olive trees and the air temperature trend (1982–2007) in the Umbria region. The phenological data on flowering phase were registered indirectly through an aerobiological monitoring technique. The obtained results showed a strong relationship between phenology and thermal trend. This characteristic was confirmed from results of correlations between temperature (mean temperature from 1st March) and flowering dates, especially that of full flowering (r = −0.9297). Moreover, the results showed an advance trend of 6, 8 and 10 days, respectively of start, full and end of flowering dates. The advance of the recorded flowering time in this period is to ascribe mainly to the increase of mean temperature and above all to that registered in months of May and June.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Biology, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121, Perugia, Italy

    Tommaso Bonofiglio, Fabio Orlandi, Carlo Sgromo, Bruno Romano & Marco Fornaciari

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  1. Tommaso Bonofiglio
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  2. Fabio Orlandi
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  3. Carlo Sgromo
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  4. Bruno Romano
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  5. Marco Fornaciari
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Correspondence to Fabio Orlandi.

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Bonofiglio, T., Orlandi, F., Sgromo, C. et al. Evidences of olive pollination date variations in relation to spring temperature trends. Aerobiologia 25, 227–237 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-009-9128-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-009-9128-4

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