Whether it is flowers sprouting in the spring, cicadas mating in the blistering heat of summer, or caterpillars hatching to feed on their favorite host plant – across the natural world, the timing of biological events is so important it spawned its own scientific discipline: phenology.
Whether it is flowers sprouting in the spring, cicadas mating in the blistering heat of summer, or caterpillars hatching to feed on their favorite host plant – across the natural world, the timing of biological events is so important it spawned its own scientific discipline: phenology.
Much of phenology is rooted in the seasons, but in a changing world, researchers are increasingly discovering disruptions to the intricate balance underlying the timing of organisms and their ecological interactions.
In a new study published in Nature Climate Change, a team led by University of Arizona ecologist Daijiang Li took a closer look at how extreme weather events impact phenological processes, specifically the flight period of butterflies and moths and the flowering time of plants across the United States.
Despite dramatically affecting biological systems, extreme events such as heat waves, cold snaps, heavy rainfall and droughts are often overlooked in studies, as researchers focus more on impacts of gradual shifts in average climate conditions. As a result, there is a critical knowledge gap when it comes to the ecological impacts of extreme weather events on organisms, populations and ecosystems under current and future climate change.
Read more at University of Arizona
Image: The Karner blue butterfly is one of many species of butterflies that depend on specific host plants. Because the caterpillars only feed on blue lupine plants, they depend on hatching at the right time, when the plants are abundant in their habitat. (Credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service)
