Location

Old Dominion University, Learning Commons at Perry Library, Room 1313

Start Date

4-8-2017 3:20 PM

End Date

4-8-2017 3:40 PM

Description

The SouthEast Virginia Phenology Project was initiated as collaboration between Norfolk Botanical Garden and Old Dominion University in 2010 to document phenology of seven native plants and potential effects of the climate change on their life cycle. The air temperature in Norfolk has increased on average by 0.02ºC per year since 1980. Four out of seven of taxonomically diverse plant species (Mayapple, Flowering Dogwood, Highbush Blueberry, and Common ButtonBush) exhibited significant sensitivity to warming temperatures. Of these four, only Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) had shown significant phenophases shift. Specifically, first flowering and first fruiting dates had shifted 2.7 and 6.7 days later. The flowering period coincides with an average temperatures decrease of 0.3ºC during the last six years of data collection. These data, collected over longer period of time, can have implications on agriculture, horticulture, native ecosystem management, and human health.

Comments

Research Mentor: Dr. Tatyana Lobova

Keywords: Climate change, First flowering date, First fruiting date, First leafing date, Global warming, Model, Phenology, Phenological response, Senescence

Presentation Type

Presentation

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Apr 8th, 3:20 PM Apr 8th, 3:40 PM

Link Between Local Phenology and Climate Change

Old Dominion University, Learning Commons at Perry Library, Room 1313

The SouthEast Virginia Phenology Project was initiated as collaboration between Norfolk Botanical Garden and Old Dominion University in 2010 to document phenology of seven native plants and potential effects of the climate change on their life cycle. The air temperature in Norfolk has increased on average by 0.02ºC per year since 1980. Four out of seven of taxonomically diverse plant species (Mayapple, Flowering Dogwood, Highbush Blueberry, and Common ButtonBush) exhibited significant sensitivity to warming temperatures. Of these four, only Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) had shown significant phenophases shift. Specifically, first flowering and first fruiting dates had shifted 2.7 and 6.7 days later. The flowering period coincides with an average temperatures decrease of 0.3ºC during the last six years of data collection. These data, collected over longer period of time, can have implications on agriculture, horticulture, native ecosystem management, and human health.