Monitoring Forest Phenology in a Changing World

Plant phenology is strongly interlinked with ecosystem processes and biodiversity. Like many other aspects of ecosystem functioning, it is affected by habitat and climate change, with both global change drivers altering the timings and frequency of phenological events. As such, there has been an inc...

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Main Authors: Ross E. J. Gray, Robert M. Ewers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
Series:Forests
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/3/297
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spelling doaj-eecfb079c4994151948200d7bc1c601b2021-03-06T00:01:39ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072021-03-011229729710.3390/f12030297Monitoring Forest Phenology in a Changing WorldRoss E. J. Gray0Robert M. Ewers1Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UKDepartment of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY, UKPlant phenology is strongly interlinked with ecosystem processes and biodiversity. Like many other aspects of ecosystem functioning, it is affected by habitat and climate change, with both global change drivers altering the timings and frequency of phenological events. As such, there has been an increased focus in recent years to monitor phenology in different biomes. A range of approaches for monitoring phenology have been developed to increase our understanding on its role in ecosystems, ranging from the use of satellites and drones to collection traps, each with their own merits and limitations. Here, we outline the trade-offs between methods (spatial resolution, temporal resolution, cost, data processing), and discuss how their use can be optimised in different environments and for different goals. We also emphasise emerging technologies that will be the focus of monitoring in the years to follow and the challenges of monitoring phenology that still need to be addressed. We conclude that there is a need to integrate studies that incorporate multiple monitoring methods, allowing the strengths of one to compensate for the weaknesses of another, with a view to developing robust methods for upscaling phenological observations from point locations to biome and global scales and reconciling data from varied sources and environments. Such developments are needed if we are to accurately quantify the impacts of a changing world on plant phenology.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/3/297dronesecosystem changemethodsmonitoringphenologyremote sensing
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Ross E. J. Gray
Robert M. Ewers
spellingShingle Ross E. J. Gray
Robert M. Ewers
Monitoring Forest Phenology in a Changing World
Forests
drones
ecosystem change
methods
monitoring
phenology
remote sensing
author_facet Ross E. J. Gray
Robert M. Ewers
author_sort Ross E. J. Gray
title Monitoring Forest Phenology in a Changing World
title_short Monitoring Forest Phenology in a Changing World
title_full Monitoring Forest Phenology in a Changing World
title_fullStr Monitoring Forest Phenology in a Changing World
title_full_unstemmed Monitoring Forest Phenology in a Changing World
title_sort monitoring forest phenology in a changing world
publisher MDPI AG
series Forests
issn 1999-4907
publishDate 2021-03-01
description Plant phenology is strongly interlinked with ecosystem processes and biodiversity. Like many other aspects of ecosystem functioning, it is affected by habitat and climate change, with both global change drivers altering the timings and frequency of phenological events. As such, there has been an increased focus in recent years to monitor phenology in different biomes. A range of approaches for monitoring phenology have been developed to increase our understanding on its role in ecosystems, ranging from the use of satellites and drones to collection traps, each with their own merits and limitations. Here, we outline the trade-offs between methods (spatial resolution, temporal resolution, cost, data processing), and discuss how their use can be optimised in different environments and for different goals. We also emphasise emerging technologies that will be the focus of monitoring in the years to follow and the challenges of monitoring phenology that still need to be addressed. We conclude that there is a need to integrate studies that incorporate multiple monitoring methods, allowing the strengths of one to compensate for the weaknesses of another, with a view to developing robust methods for upscaling phenological observations from point locations to biome and global scales and reconciling data from varied sources and environments. Such developments are needed if we are to accurately quantify the impacts of a changing world on plant phenology.
topic drones
ecosystem change
methods
monitoring
phenology
remote sensing
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/3/297
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