Journal Article
Shortened temperature‐relevant period of spring leaf‐out in temperate‐zone trees
Yongshuo H. Fu; Xiaojun Geng; Fanghua Hao; Yann Vitasse; Constantin M. Zohner; Xuan Zhang; Xuancheng Zhou; Guodong Yin; Josep Peñuelas; Shilong Piao; Ivan A. Janssens
Global Change Biology · Vol. 25, Issue 12 · pp. 4282-4290 · 2019
Abstract
Temperature during a particular period prior to spring leaf‐out, the temperature‐relevant period (TRP), is a strong determinant of the leaf‐out date in temperate‐zone trees. Climatic warming has substantially advanced leaf‐out dates in temperate biomes worldwide, but its effect on the beginning and length of the TRP has not yet been explored, despite its direct relevance for phenology modeling. Using 1,551 species–site combinations of long‐term (1951–2016) in situ observations on six tree species (namely, Aesculus hippocastanum , Alnus glutinosa , Betula pendula , Fagus sylvatica , Fraxinus excelsior , and Quercus robur ) in central Europe, we found that the advancing leaf‐out was accompanied by a shortening of the TRP. On average across all species and sites, the length of the TRP significantly decreased by 23% ( p