The future of spring bud burst: looking at the possibilities

Abstract

The timing of spring budburst in woody plants impacts not only the subsequent seasonal growth for individual trees, but also their associated biological community. As winter and spring temperatures have warmed under the changing climate, in many species budburst has been happening earlier in the year. Understanding the long-term effects of this shift and adapting forest management to accommodate it requires deeper insights into the dynamics of budburst. The researchers investigated this topic in a complex of experiments simulating a range of winter conditions for wide range of genetic varieties of Pacific coastal Douglas-fir. Their results, in conjunction with findings from many previous studies on budburst in other plant species, enabled the team to build a mathematical model demonstrating that an intricate interplay between temperatures during winter and spring months is involved in producing this critical first step in the growth cycle. The scientists propose that this relationship governs budburst in many plant species. Their novel model offers a starting point for predicting budburst for genetically different populations under various scenarios of future climate.

Based on science by Peter Gould, Connie Harrington, and Brad St. Clair

Citation

Parks, Noreen; Harrington, Connie; St. Clair, Brad; Gould,  Peter. 2010. The future of spring bud burst: looking at the possibilities. Science Findings 128. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.  5 p.