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Australian Journal of Botany Australian Journal of Botany Society
Southern hemisphere botanical ecosystems
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Phenology and climate – early Australian botanical records

Lynda E. Chambers A C and Marie R. Keatley B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, Bureau of Meteorology, GPO Box 1289, Melbourne, Vic. 3001, Australia.

B Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science, The University of Melbourne, Water Street, Creswick, Vic. 3363, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: L.Chambers@bom.gov.au

Australian Journal of Botany 58(6) 473-484 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT10105
Submitted: 5 May 2010  Accepted: 20 July 2010   Published: 8 September 2010

Abstract

Historical information from the Hobart Botanical Gardens (1864–1885) was used to identify species and phenological phases that were responsive to climatic variations and have the potential to be used as climate change indicators in southern Australia. Of the 49 species considered, 26 (53%) had at least one phenophase that appeared to be driven by changes in rainfall, minimum temperature, or both. This was particularly true for fruiting species, including currants, pears and plums, and for the phenophases harvest commencement, seed ripening or fall, and fruit ripening.


Acknowledgements

This project was made possible by the foresight of Francis Abbott Jr., the various unknown observers and the records of the Royal Society of Tasmania. We would also like to thank Andrew Charles and Frith Jarrad and two anonymous reviwers for valuable comments on the manuscript.


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