Climatic determinants of plant phenology in vernal pool habitats.

ABSTRACT:

Premise

The floral phenology of vernal pool plants is little understood despite being a crucial developmental stage for producing seeds and determining population growth rates. Vernal pools are ephemerally aquatic habitats harboring species adapted to predictable seasonal fluctuations between desiccated and inundated conditions; thus, vernal pool plant phenology is predicted to be particularly responsive to interannual climate variability.

Methods

For two vernal pool species, Limnanthes douglasii subsp. rosea (meadowfoam), a vernal pool specialist, and Trifolium variegatum (whitetip clover), a generalist vernal pool associate, we characterized flowering onset, termination, and duration in response to interannual variation of winter precipitation and growing degree hours (GDH

SUBMITTER: Hendrickson BT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12281262 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature