Browsing by Author "Dunnell, Kelsey Liann"

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    Plant Phenological Responses to Climate Change in the Northern Great Plains
    (North Dakota State University, 2010) Dunnell, Kelsey Liann
    Climate change has been associated with shifts in phenological events which could be disrupting evolved species relationships. The current first flowering times of plants were compared to historical data in the Red River Valley. This gave insight as to what effects climate change is currently having on species in this area. By merging climate variable data from the same time period it was possible to correlate first flowering dates with climate variables for that specific year. Variation in plant flowering times was analyzed over the century to better understand potential ecological consequences of climate change. First flowering times were found to have shifted since previously recorded. The lengthening growing season in the Red River Valley as a result of climate change has resulted in significant shifts in the timing of plant life cycles. The second study used an experimental approach to test the effects of warming on plant species in the tallgrass prairie. Measuring phenological and species composition responses to the temperature changes showed evidence that increasing air temperatures are leading to earlier flowering. There was also a significant increase in species richness. The results of both studies conclude that climate change has the potential to impact the plant community by shifting phenological responses in the tallgrass prairie in the Northern Great Plains.