Phenology and climate – early Australian botanical records
Lynda E. Chambers A C and Marie R. Keatley BA Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, Bureau of Meteorology, GPO Box 1289, Melbourne, Vic. 3001, Australia.
B Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science, The University of Melbourne, Water Street, Creswick, Vic. 3363, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: L.Chambers@bom.gov.au
Australian Journal of Botany 58(6) 473-484 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT10105
Submitted: 5 May 2010 Accepted: 20 July 2010 Published: 8 September 2010
Abstract
Historical information from the Hobart Botanical Gardens (1864–1885) was used to identify species and phenological phases that were responsive to climatic variations and have the potential to be used as climate change indicators in southern Australia. Of the 49 species considered, 26 (53%) had at least one phenophase that appeared to be driven by changes in rainfall, minimum temperature, or both. This was particularly true for fruiting species, including currants, pears and plums, and for the phenophases harvest commencement, seed ripening or fall, and fruit ripening.
Acknowledgements
This project was made possible by the foresight of Francis Abbott Jr., the various unknown observers and the records of the Royal Society of Tasmania. We would also like to thank Andrew Charles and Frith Jarrad and two anonymous reviwers for valuable comments on the manuscript.
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