Global warming and flowering times in Thoreau's Concord: a community perspective

Ecology
Abraham J Miller-Rushing, Richard B Primack

Abstract

As a result of climate change, many plants are now flowering measurably earlier than they did in the past. However, some species' flowering times have changed much more than others. Data at the community level can clarify the variation in flowering responses to climate change. In order to determine how North American species' flowering times respond to climate, we analyzed a series of previously unstudied records of the dates of first flowering for over 500 plant taxa in Concord, Massachusetts, USA. These records began with six years of observations by the famous naturalist Henry David Thoreau from 1852 to 1858, continued with 16 years of observations by the botanist Alfred Hosmer in 1878 and 1888-1902, and concluded with our own observations in 2004, 2005, and 2006. From 1852 through 2006, Concord warmed by 2.4 degrees C due to global climate change and urbanization. Using a subset of 43 common species, we determined that plants are now flowering seven days earlier on average than they did in Thoreau's times. Plant flowering times were most correlated with mean temperatures in the one or two months just before flowering and were also correlated with January temperatures. Summer-flowering species showed more interannual variati...Continue Reading

Associated Datasets

References

Aug 18, 1999·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·N L BradleyW Huffaker
Mar 4, 2000·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·D W InouyeB D Inouye
Nov 18, 2000·Journal of Theoretical Biology·I Chuine
Mar 29, 2002·Nature·Gian-Reto WaltherFranz Bairlein
Apr 25, 2002·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·John F McLaughlinPaul R Ehrlich
Jun 1, 2002·Science·A H Fitter, R S R Fitter
Oct 9, 2002·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Nils Chr Stenseth, Atle Mysterud
Jan 4, 2003·Nature·Terry L RootJ Alan Pounds
Jan 21, 2004·Current Opinion in Plant Biology·Sibum Sung, Richard M Amasino
Aug 20, 2004·Nature·Martin Edwards, Anthony J Richardson
Dec 3, 2005·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Marcel E Visser, Christiaan Both
Apr 8, 2006·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Christophe Barbraud, Henri Weimerskirch
May 5, 2006·Nature·Christiaan BothMarcel E Visser
Nov 1, 2006·American Journal of Botany·Abraham J Miller-RushingSharda Mukunda
Aug 1, 2004·American Journal of Botany·Daniel PrimackPeter Del Tredici
Jun 9, 1994·Nature·G GrabherrH Paull

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jul 19, 2013·Oecologia·Jochen FründTeja Tscharntke
Aug 31, 2010·International Journal of Biometeorology·Tim H SparksPiotr Tryjanowski
Apr 22, 2011·International Journal of Biometeorology·Alison DonnellyBridget F O'Neill
Nov 24, 2011·International Journal of Biometeorology·Lauren B Buckley, Madison S Foushee
May 3, 2012·International Journal of Biometeorology·Sailesh RanjitkarJianchu Xu
Jun 30, 2012·International Journal of Biometeorology·K BolmgrenA J Miller-Rushing
Dec 7, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Ignasi BartomeusRachael Winfree
Apr 29, 2011·Biology Letters·Pashupati Chaudhary, Kamaljit S Bawa
Sep 2, 2011·Biology Letters·Stephanie E Hampton, Terry A Wheeler
Apr 9, 2010·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Tatsuya AmanoWilliam J Sutherland
Jul 12, 2013·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·N T JonesA S MacDougall
Sep 8, 2010·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·A M WilczekJ Schmitt
Sep 8, 2010·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Charles C DavisAbraham J Miller-Rushing
Sep 8, 2010·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Michael C Singer, Camille Parmesan
Sep 8, 2010·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Jessica Forrest, Abraham J Miller-Rushing
Sep 8, 2010·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Abraham J Miller-RushingEric Post
Jul 10, 2013·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Eric Post, Toke T Høye
Jul 10, 2013·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Amy M IlerNiels M Schmidt
Jul 27, 2010·PloS One·Betsy Von HolleDavid Nickerson
Jan 24, 2013·PloS One·Elizabeth R EllwoodCharles C Davis
May 26, 2012·Ecology·T Jonathan DaviesElizabeth M Wolkovich
Aug 30, 2012·Ecology·Elsa E ClelandElizabeth M Wolkovich
Dec 24, 2013·Ecology·Nicole E Rafferty, Anthony R Ives
May 31, 2014·AoB Plants·Elizabeth M Wolkovich, Elsa E Cleland
Sep 11, 2013·International Journal of Biometeorology·Elizabeth R EllwoodRichard B Primack
Jul 9, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Robbie HartJianchu Xu
Aug 7, 2008·Current Allergy and Asthma Reports·Estelle Levetin, Peter Van de Water
Sep 3, 2013·International Journal of Biometeorology·Caroline A PolgarSusanne S Hoeppner
Jul 7, 2009·Annual Review of Plant Biology·Pamela S Soltis, Douglas E Soltis
Sep 1, 2012·Annual Review of Genetics·Steven J Franks, Ary A Hoffmann
Feb 13, 2010·Annual Review of Physiology·William E Bradshaw, Christina M Holzapfel
Oct 29, 2008·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Charles G WillisCharles C Davis
Feb 16, 2016·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Phillip B FenbergStephen J Brooks
Jan 26, 2016·The American Naturalist·Seema Nayan Sheth, Amy Lauren Angert
Oct 21, 2015·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Yingying XieJohn A Silander
Jan 24, 2013·Environmental Entomology·Elisha Sigmon, John T Lill
Jul 15, 2015·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Rebecca G Asch
Dec 10, 2015·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Niamh B O'HaraSteven J Franks
Aug 11, 2015·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Michael ToomeyAndrew D Richardson
Jun 14, 2012·Ecology·Nicole E Rafferty, Anthony R Ives

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.