Phänologische Veränderungen wild wachsender Pflanzen in Sachsen-Anhalt 1962-2005

Abstract

Kolodziej, A.; Frühauf, M.: Phenological changes of wild-growing plants in Saxony-Anhalt 1962- 2005. – Hercynia N.F. 41 (2008): 23 –37.During the last decades (1962-2005) massive significant changes in plant growing turned out in Saxony- Anhalt. In general spring events (leafing, flowering) showed the largest changes. With rising temperatures during the year and the decrease of monthly temperature fluctuations, the intensity of changes in plant growing takes off. These changes are closely related to the strong temperature increase of late winter months until early spring in this period (s. a.), through which the onsets of the phenological phases/events are meanwhile much earlier in the year. On the other hand a milder late summer delayed leaf colouring in autumn. Spring and summer events significant depend on air temperatures of one till three months before timing. For example flowering of Salix caprea begins 20 days earlier in reaction of a warmer February and March. Mild autumn temperatures (August and September) delayed leaf colouring of Quercus robur in average of seven days. All in all, plants in Saxony-Anhalt showed therefore reactions on climate change. Warmth speeds up plant growing clearly and most of all increasing temperatures left out to earlier onsets of phenological phases and to an extraordinary extension of the thermal growing-season (nearly about four weeks). This leads plants up to sensitive signs for climate change and environmental changes (Chmielewski et al. 2004, Donnelly et al. 2006, Defila & Müller-Ferch 2003). A further temperature increase, already predicted by the IPCC (2001) may be the most intensive climate warming since millions of years. Consequences will rise especially in view of natural function of ecosystems, biodiversity, forests, agricultural plants and human civilisation (Chmielewski et al. 2004).