Flower phenological events and duration pattern is influenced by temperature and elevation in Dhauladhar mountain range of Lesser Himalaya

Studying phenology is undeniably one of the most effective ways to monitor and perceive how a particular plant species interact and respond to varying environmental conditions. In this study, the shifts in flowering phenological events of 24 herbaceous species with the changing elevation and temperature were observed in Dhauladhar Mountain range of Lesser Himalaya. Five permanent plots (20 x 20 m2) were established from 2,000 m to 4,000 m elevation at each rising 500 m distance for the documentation of herbaceous flora. Abundance-based documentation of flowering phenological events (onset of flowering duration [OFD] >= 10% to 30%, the peak of flowering duration [PFD] 30% to 80%, the end of flowering duration [EFD] > 80% and total flowering duration [FD] as the difference of end and onset of flowering DOY) was done in each plot. The onset, the peak, and the end of the flowering day of the year (DOY) were recorded at 20%, 55%, and 90% floral abundance, respectively, from 1st of January. Upon analyses, the Linear-mixed effects model depicted significant differences in the flowering phenological events with elevation and soil temperature. The onset of flowering DOY and peak of the flowering DOY varied significantly with soil temperature gradient, while the end of flowering DOY showed non-significant interaction. The linear model of ANOVA demonstrated that OFD, PFD, EFD and FD varied significantly with elevation at p < 0.001. FD increased with elevation for most of the species, whereas two species, Aquilegia pubiflora and Primula denticulata, showed early incidences of flowering compared to other species. Temperature played an imperative role in influencing the day of initiation and duration of these phenological events. High plasticity of flowering phenological events is advantageous in high elevation regions where pollinators are scarcely present. Therefore, documenting shifting incidences of flowering phenological events would help the researcher to effectively predict climate change effects on alpine communities in near future.

Automated summary

Studying phenology is an effective way to monitor how plant species interact and respond to environmental conditions. This study observed shifts in flowering phenological events of 24 herbaceous species with changing elevation and temperature. Results showed significant effects of elevation and soil temperature on the flowering phenological events, with high plasticity in high elevation regions and a key role of temperature in influencing the initiation and duration of these events.