A Review of Climate-Induced Shifts in Flowering Phenology and Pollination Interactions of Native Plant Species
Keywords:
Phenology, Climate Change, Native Plant Species, Pollination Interactions, Ecological ResilienceAbstract
Climate change has profoundly altered biological systems across the globe, with one of the most visible manifestations being shifts in flowering phenology—the timing of seasonal flowering events in plants. These shifts are primarily driven by rising global temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and unpredictable seasonal transitions. Native plant species, which have evolved in close synchrony with local climatic conditions and pollinator communities, are particularly sensitive to such changes. As flowering periods advance or become desynchronized from historical norms, the delicate balance between plants and their pollinators faces increasing disruption. Phenological mismatches can reduce pollination success, impair seed and fruit production, and ultimately threaten the reproductive fitness and survival of native species. Furthermore, altered flowering patterns can cascade through ecological networks, influencing pollinator populations, competitive plant interactions, and overall ecosystem stability. This review synthesizes current research on the impacts of climate-induced shifts in flowering phenology and their consequences for pollination interactions among native plant species. It also highlights the importance of long-term phenological monitoring, predictive modeling, and adaptive conservation strategies to mitigate ecological risks. Understanding these complex interdependencies is crucial for predicting future ecosystem resilience and formulating effective biodiversity management plans in the era of rapid climatic change.
References
Bartomeus, I., Ascher, J. S., Wagner, D., et al. (2011). Climate-associated phenological advances in bee pollinators and bee-pollinated plants. PNAS, 108(51), 20645–20649.
Bartomeus, I., Park, M. G., Gibbs, J., Danforth, B. N., Lakso, A. N., & Winfree, R. (2013). Climate-associated phenological advances in bee pollinators and bee-pollinated plants. PNAS, 110(51), 20669–20673.
Bellard, C., Bertelsmeier, C., Leadley, P., Thuiller, W., & Courchamp, F. (2012). Impacts of climate change on the future of biodiversity. Ecology Letters, 15(4), 365–377.
Burkle, L. A., & Alarcón, R. (2011). The future of plant–pollinator diversity: Understanding interaction networks across time, space, and global change. American Journal of Botany, 98(3), 528–538.
Burkle, L. A., Myers, J. A., & Belote, R. T. (2016). Wildflower diversity and pollination services in grassland ecosystems under climate change. Ecological Monographs, 86(1), 55–72.
CaraDonna, P. J., & Bain, J. M. (2016). Plant–pollinator interactions and phenological change: Implications for pollination services. Annals of Botany, 118(2), 271–279.
CaraDonna, P. J., Iler, A. M., & Inouye, D. W. (2014). Shifts in flowering phenology reshape a subalpine plant community. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(13), 4916–4921.
CaraDonna, P. J., Iler, A. M., & Inouye, D. W. (2014). Shifts in flowering phenology reshape a subalpine plant community. PNAS, 111(13), 4916–4921.
de Keyzer, C. W., Colla, S. R., Kent, C. F., Rafferty, N. E., Richardson, L. L., & Thomson, J. D. (2016). Delving deeper: Questioning the decline of long-tongued bumble bees, long-tubed flowers and their mutualisms with climate change. Journal of Pollination Ecology, 18, 36–42.
De Keyzer, C. W., Rafferty, N. E., Inouye, D. W., & Thomson, J. D. (2017). Confounding effects of spatial variation on shifts in phenology. Global Change Biology, 23(5), 1783–1791
Donoso, I., García, D., Martínez, D., & Escudero, A. (2016). Phenological asynchrony in plant–butterfly interactions associated with climate: A community-wide perspective. Oikos, 125(10), 1434–1444.
Fitter, A. H., & Fitter, R. S. R. (2014). The flowering time of British plants and the impact of climate change. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 369(1639), 20130565.
Forrest, J. R. K. (2015). Plant–pollinator interactions and phenological change: lessons from experiments and observations. Oikos, 124(1), 4–13.
Fründ, J., Zieger, S. L., & Tscharntke, T. (2013). Response diversity of wild bees to overwintering temperatures. Oecologia, 173(3), 663–672.
Gérard, M., Vanderplanck, M., Wood, T., & Michez, D. (2020). Global warming and plant–pollinator mismatches. Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, 4(1), 77–86.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Engineering, Science and Humanities
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
