Abstract
This study focused on phenological timing and spatial patterns in 30 Poaceae species flowering in spring in different types of plant cover (scrub, riverbank and pasture). Grass community composition was studied, and the influence of species and plant cover on the start date and duration of flowering was assessed from March to June in both 2014 and 2015. Twenty-nine sampling sites were selected for phenological monitoring using the BBCH scale. Data were subjected to GLMM analyses. Binary discriminant analysis revealed differences in grass community composition as a function of plant cover type; scrub cover comprised a considerably larger number of species than those in riverbank and pasture. Moreover, more species diversity was observed in 2014 than in 2015 with a drier and stressed pre-flowering period. Differences on phenology were also recorded between plant cover types and study years. Species in pasture and riverbank flowered before (113.4 days; 116.1 days) than species in scrub (120.9 days), being these species with shorter flowering length because they are more exposed to the characteristic of the Mediterranean region during the summer. In general, flowering onset occurred later in 2014 (118.2 days) than in 2015 (115.8 days), probably attributable to precipitation occurring during March. On the other hand, spatial autocorrelation within some cover types has been observed, showing spatial patterns exist at a smaller scale. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of grass phenology in different environments.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aboulaich N, Bouziane H, Kadiri M, del Mar-Trigo M, Riadi H, Kazzaz M et al (2009) Pollen production in anemophilous species of the Poaceae family in Tetouan (NW Morocco). Aerobiologia 25(1):27–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-008-9106-2
Agencia de Meterología de España (AEMET) (2011) Guía resumida del clima en España (1981–2010). Available: http://wwwaemetes/es/conocermas/publicaciones/detalles/guia_resumida_2010 Accessed Sept 2016 16
Alcázar P, Stach A, Nowak M, Galán C (2009) Comparison of airborne herb pollen types in Córdoba (southwestern Spain) and Poznan (western Poland). Aerobiologia 25(2):55–63
ArcGIS9 (2009) ArcGIS ArcView version 9.3. ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc.), Redlands, p 1
Arturi MF, Pérez CA, Robles ST, Plata L (2010) Plant traits and canopy types: seasonal and local variation in a grazed semi-deciduous temperate woodland. Phytocoenologia 40(4):245–253. https://doi.org/10.1127/0340-269X/2010/0040-0438
Barbieri R, Botarelli L, Salsi A, Zinoni F (1989) Guida alle rilevazioni agrofenologiche ed alla compilazione delle schede di rilevamento per le colture erbacee ed arboree. E.R.S.A, Bologna
Bliss LC (1962) Adaptations of arctic and alpine plants to environmental conditions. Arctic 15(2):117–144. 10.14430/arctic3564
Blondel J (2006) The ‘design’ of Mediterranean landscapes: a millennial story of humans and ecological systems during the historic period. Hum Ecol 34(5):713–729. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-006-9030-4
Cebrino J, Galán C, Domínguez-Vilches E (2016) Aerobiological and phenological study of the main Poaceae species in Cordoba City (Spain) and the surrounding hills. Aerobiologia 32(4):595–606. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-016-9434-6
Cerling TE, Levin NE, Quade J, Wynn JG, Fox DL, Kingston JD et al (2010) Comment on the paleoenvironment of Ardipithecus ramidus. Science 328(5982):1105–1105. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1185274
Chapin FS, Randerson JT, McGuire AD, Foley JA, Field CB (2008) Changing feedbacks in the climate-biosphere system. Front Ecol Environ 6:313–320. https://doi.org/10.1890/080005
Clary J, Savé R, Biel C, Herralde F (2004) Water relations in competitive interactions of Mediterranean grasses and shrubs. An Appl Biol 144(2):149–155. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7348.2004.tb00328.x
CMA (2007) Mapa de Usos y Coberturas Vegetales del suelo de Andalucía. Consejería Medio Ambiente, Junta de Andalucía, España
Cook BI, Wolkovich EM, Parmesan C (2012) Divergent responses to spring and winter warming drive community level flowering trends. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 109(23):9000–9005. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1118364109
Dai J, Wang H, Ge Q (2013) The spatial pattern of leaf phenology and its response to climate change in China. Int J Biometeorol 58:521–528. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-013-0679-2
Devesa JA, Carrión JS (2012) Las plantas con flor: apuntes sobre su origen, clasificación y diversidad. Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Córdoba, España
Forrest J, Miller-Rushing AJ (2010) Toward a synthetic understanding of the role of phenology in ecology and evolution. Phil Trans R Soc B: Biol Sci 365(1555):3101–3112. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0145
Frenguelli G, Passalacqua G, Bonini S, Fiocchi A, Incorvaia C, Marcucci F et al (2010) Bridging allergologic and botanical knowledge in seasonal allergy: a role for phenology. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 105(3):223–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2010.06.016
Galán C, García-Mozo H, Vázquez L, Ruiz-Valenzuela L, Díaz de la Guardia C, Trigo-Pérez M (2005) Heat requirement for the onset of the Olea Europaea L. pollen season in several places of Andalusia region and the effect of the expected future climate change. Int J Biometeorol 49(3):184–188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-004-0223-5
Galán C, Alcázar P, Oteros J, García-Mozo H, Aira MJ, Belmonte J et al (2016) Airborne pollen trends in the Iberian Peninsula. Sci Total Environ 550:53–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.069
García de León D, García-Mozo H, Galán C, Alcázar P, Lima M, González-Andújar JL (2015) Disentangling the effects of feedback structure and climate on Poaceae annual airborne pollen fluctuations and the possible consequences of climate change. Sci Total Environ 530:103–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.05.104
García-Mozo H, Galán C, Jato V, Belmonte J, de la Guardia CD, Fernández D et al (2006) Quercus pollen season dynamics in the Iberian Peninsula: response to meteorological parameters and possible consequences of climate change. Ann Agric Environ Med 13(2):209
García-Mozo H, Galán C, Belmonte J, Bermejo D, Candau P, Díaz de la Guardia C et al (2009) Predicting the start and peak dates of the Poaceae pollen season in Spain using process-based models. Agric For Meteorol 149:256–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2008.08.013
García-Mozo H, Mestre A, Galán C (2010) Phenological trends in southern Spain: a response to climate change. Agric For Meteorol 150(4):575–580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2010.01.023
Ghitarrini S, Galán C, Frenguelli G, Tedeschini E (2017) Phenological analysis of grasses (Poaceae) as a support for the dissection of their pollen season in Perugia (Central Italy). Aerobiologia 33(3):339–349. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-017-9473-7
Gibb S, Strimmer K (2015) Differential protein expression and peak selection in mass spectrometry data by binary discriminant analysis. http://arxiv.org/abs/1502.07959
Gordo O, Sanz JJ (2005) Phenology and climate change: a long-term study in a Mediterranean locality. Oecol 146(3):484–495. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0240-z
Gordo O, Sanz JJ (2010) Impact of climate change on plant phenology in Mediterranean ecosystems. Glob Chang Biol 16(3):1082–1106. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02084.x
Greenworks PC, West C, Engineers KC (2001) Willamette riverbank design notebook: Portland, Oregon. Bureau of Environmental Services - Portland Development Commission, USA
Hartel T, Dorresteijn I, Klein C, Máthé O, Moga CI, Öllerer K et al (2013) Wood-pastures in a traditional rural region of Eastern Europe: characteristics, management and status. Biol Conserv 166:267–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2013.06.020
Herrera J (1987) Flower and fruit biology in southern Spanish Mediterranean shrublands. Ann Missouri Bot Gard 74:69–78. https://doi.org/10.2307/2399263
Jochner S, Ziello C, Böck A, Estrella N, Buters J, Weichenmeier I et al (2012) Spatio-temporal investigation of flowering dates and pollen counts in the topographically complex Zugspitze area on the German–Austrian border. Aerobiologia 28(4):541–556. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-012-9255-1
Kmenta M, Bastl K, Kramer MF, Hewings SJ, Mwange J, Zetter R et al (2016) The grass pollen season 2014 in Vienna: a pilot study combining phenology, aerobiology and symptom data. Sci Total Environ 566:1614–1620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.059
Lee KW, Chen PW, SM Y (2014) Metabolic adaptation to sugar/O2 deficiency for anaerobic germination and seedling growth in rice. Plant Cell Environ 37(10):2234–2244. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.12311
León-Ruiz E, Alcázar P, Domínguez-Vilches E, Galán C (2011) Study of Poaceae phenology in a Mediterranean climate. Which species contribute most to airbone pollen counts? Aerobiologia 21(1):37–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-010-9174-y
León-Ruiz E, García-Mozo H, Domínguez-Vilches E, Galán C (2012) The use of geostatistics in the study of floral phenology of Vulpia geniculata (L) Link. Sci World J 2012(2012):624247. https://doi.org/10.1100/2012/624247
Meier U (2001) Growth stages of mono- and dicotyledonous plants. BBCH monograph. German Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Germany
Menzel A, Sparks TH, Estrella N, Koch E, Aasa A, Ahas R et al (2006) European phenological response to climate change matches the warming pattern. Glob Chang Biol 12(10):1969–1976. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2006.01193.x
Morellato LPC, Camargo MGG, Gressler E (2013) A review of plant phenology in south and central America. In: Schwartz MD (ed) Phenology: an integrative environmental science. Springer, Netherlands, pp 91–113
Naveh Z, Whittaker RH (1980) Structural and floristic diversity of shrublands and woodlands in northern Israel and other Mediterranean areas. Vegetatio 41(3):171–190. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00052445
Peñuelas J, Filella I, Comas P (2002) Changed plant and animal life cycles from 1952 to 2000 in the Mediterranean region. Glob Chang Biol 8(6):531–544. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2486.2002.00489.x
Peñuelas P, Filella I, Zhang X, Llorens L, Ogaya R, Lloret F et al (2004) Complex spatiotemporal phenological shifts as a response to rainfall changes. New Phytol 161:837–846. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2004.01003.x
Phillips M, Allen E (2015) Changes in above- and below-ground phenological relations across type-converted invaded grasslands in southern California, proposal for Shipley-Skinner Reserve–Riverside County. University of California, USA
Plaza MP, Alcázar P, Hernández-Ceballos MA, Galán C (2016) Mismatch in aeroallergens and airborne grass pollen concentrations. Atmos Environ 144:361–369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2016.09.008
Prieto-Baena JC, Hidalgo PJ, Domínguez-Vilches E, Galán C (2003) Pollen production in the Poaceae family. Grana 42(3):153–159. https://doi.org/10.1080/00173130310011810
QGIS Development Team (2014) QGIS geographic information system. Open Source Geospatial Foundation Project. http://qgis.osgeo.org
R Core Team (2013) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna http://www.R-project.org/
Richardson AD, Keenan TF, Migliavacca M, Ryu Y, Sonnentag O, Toomey M (2013) Climate change, phenology, and phenological control of vegetation feedbacks to the climate system. Agric For Meteorol 169:156–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2012.09.012
Sánchez-Mesa JA, Smith M, Emberlin J, Allitt U, Caulton E, Galán C (2003) Characteristics of grass pollen seasons in areas of southern Spain and the United Kingdom. Aerobiologia 19(3–4):243–250. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:AERO.0000006597.44452.a3
Sánchez-Mesa JA, Galán C, Hervás C (2005) The use of discriminant analysis and neural networks to forecast the severity of the Poaceae pollen season in a region with a typical Mediterranean climate. Int J Biometeorol 49(6):355–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-005-0260-8
Schwartz MD (2013) Introduction. In: Schwartz MD (ed) Phenology: an integrative environmental science. Springer, Netherlands, pp 1–5
Spano D, Snyder RL, Cesaraccio C (2013) Mediterranean phenology. In: Schwartz MD (ed) Phenology: an integrative environmental science. Springer, Netherlands, pp 173–196
Tormo R, Silva I, Gonzalo Á, Moreno A, Pérez R, Fernández S (2011) Phenological records as a complement to aerobiological data. Int J Biometeorol 55(1):51–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-010-0308-2
Volaire F, Norton M (2006) Summer dormancy in perennial temperate grasses. Ann Bot 98:927–933. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcl195
Watson L, Dallwitz MJ (1992) The grass genera of the world. CAB International, Wallingford
White JF, Bernstein DI (2003) Key pollen allergens in North America. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 9:425–435. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1081-1206(10)61509-8
Acknowledgements
This study was partly supported by the project CGL2014-54731-R, “Study on phenological trends in plants of W Mediterranean and its relation to climate change (FENOMED)”, financed by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. The authors are also grateful to the Excellence Research Project “Analysis and Dynamic of Airborne Pollen in Andalusia (P10-RNM-5958)”, financed by the Junta de Andalucía, for funding this work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cebrino, J., García-Castaño, J.L., Domínguez-Vilches, E. et al. Spatio-temporal flowering patterns in Mediterranean Poaceae. A community study in SW Spain. Int J Biometeorol 62, 513–523 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-017-1461-7
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-017-1461-7