Unlocking the Rhythm of the Seasons in the Face of Global Change: Challenges and Opportunities for Phenological Research in the 21st Century

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2008

Abstract

Phenology is the study of recurring life-cycle events, classic examples being the flowering of plants and animal migration. Phenological responses are increasingly relevant for addressing applied environmental issues. Yet, challenges remain with respect to spanning scales of observation, integrating observations across taxa, and modeling phenological sequences to enable ecological forecasts in light of future climate change. Recent advances that are helping to address these questions include refined landscape-scale phenology estimates from satellite data, advanced, instrument-based approaches for field measurements, and new cyberinfrastructure for archiving and distribution of products. These breakthroughs are improving our understanding in diverse areas, including modeling land-surface exchange, evaluating climate–phenology relationships, and making land-management decisions.

Publication Title

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

Volume

7

Issue

5

First Page

253

Last Page

260

DOI of Published Version

10.1890/070217

Publisher

Ecological Society of America

Rights

© 2008 Ecological Society of America

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