Primula as an environmental change indicator plant.
2023
Against the backdrop of environmental changes, phenology of plant flowering attracts special attraction, as it appeared to be the important indicator for determining adaptation tendencies of the plant in connection with temperature change. The effect of sky exposition on phenological rhythm in 6 species of genus Primula have been studied. Sky exposition was used as general indicator of illumination character influencing the habitat microclimate. The fish-eye lens and computer program „Gap Light Analyzer“ were used to determine sky exposition cover percentage. The average value of sky exposition in studied sites differed significantly. The differences were found in sky exposition average values in spring and late summer forests, which have been calculated for the same marked places in early spring, before leaves appeared on trees and in summer after they were covered with leaves. The sky exposition average value in summer forest was twice lower than in spring forest. Especially low sky exposition was determined in summer oak-hornbeam forest, where is growing P. woronowii. The obtained data confirm that reproductive effort of early flowering forest species of Primula shows close correlative relation to microclimatic conditions determined by sky exposition, such as temperature, moisture and solar radiation. It is expected that upcoming global climate change can cause shifts in „spring index“ in forests and will change duration of phenological phases in shaded habitat of Primula. This will influence on reproductive success of the species and determine the chances of its survival and propagation. Fig. 3, Ref. 16.
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Bibliographic information
Publisher Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences
This bibliographic record has been provided by Georgian Research Institute for Scientific Technical Information