Biology subjects

Bucharova, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Bucharova, A..

18 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Rapid adaptive evolution in restored populations of a perennial plant

Restored plant populations often face novel environmental challenges because degraded restoration sites typically differ from natural habitats. The success of ecosystem restoration may therefore depend on whether restored plant populations can adapt rapidly to these novel conditions. Yet, rapid adaptive evolution during restoration remains rarely studied. Here, we tested for rapid adaptation in Galium wirtgenii, a perennial herb, within restored alluvial grasslands. Sites were restored 20 years ago by transferring hay from nearby ancient semi-natural meadows. Compared to the semi-natural donor meadows, restored sites are more productive and are mown two to three months earlier. We collected seeds from 571 mother plants from 48 restored and 18 semi-natural sites and grew their offspring in a common garden over three years. To test for differences in regeneration after mowing, we included a clipping treatment when plants were in full blossom. Plants from restored sites flowered earlier than plants from semi-natural sites, and this difference persisted across all three years, consistent with a heritable evolutionary response to earlier mowing allowing plants at restored sites to complete reproduction before mowing. Plants from restored sites also grew more slowly in early life stages, but this effect disappeared later, suggesting maternal effects rather than genetic differentiation. We did not detect differences in regeneration after clipping, likely because regrowth rarely results in viable seeds, providing little fitness advantage. In summary, we found evidence for rapid adaptation to novel environmental conditions in restored sites, likely contributing to successful establishment of Galium wirtgenii populations in the restored grasslands.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Small stream restoration increases habitat and plant diversity across scales

A majority of stream restoration efforts in central Europe focus on streams that are less than five meters wide. Restoration aims to increase structural complexity, thereby enhancing habitat heterogeneity, promoting biodiversity, and reestablishing aquatic-terrestrial linkages that can drive responses in adjacent terrestrial communities. However, the effects of small stream restoration on terrestrial biodiversity remain poorly understood because research focuses mainly on large rivers. Here, we investigated the effects of restoration on the structural complexity of the stream channel as well as the terrestrial habitat and plant diversity on a local and landscape scale across 55 small streams in an agricultural landscape. We compared restored stream sections with non-restored ones that were similar to the conditions before restoration. We also assessed how restored sections changed over time since restoration. Restored stream sections showed a higher stream structural complexity and habitat diversity, both of which are targets of active restoration measures. Restoration also increased riparian plant diversity, both directly and indirectly through structural complexity and habitat diversity. Although time since restoration did not influence structural complexity, it drove successional changes in plant communities that became increasingly associated with wetland habitat conditions. Our results demonstrate that small stream restoration effectively increases floodplain habitat and plant diversity in agricultural landscapes, primarily by enhancing water availability in the floodplain. Restoration actions on small streams support biodiversity if they improve stream channel complexity, connect the stream with its floodplain, and create floodplain habitats.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Phylogeny, thermal seasonality, and life history shape trait variation in annual and perennial barley relatives

O_LIThere is growing interest in developing perennial cereal crops for sustainable production, yet key differences in trait syndromes between annual and perennial grasses and their influence on environmental adaptation remain poorly understood. C_LIO_LIWe measured 25 traits in 16 annual and perennial Hordeum species (45 accessions), including barley, grown over three seasons in a common garden. Using a phylogenetic framework and repeated transitions between annual and perennial forms, we (i) identified traits distinguishing these life strategies and (ii) tested how they relate to climate at the accessions origins. C_LIO_LIWild and cultivated barley are distinguished within the Hordeum clade by high growth rates and large organs, which may have predisposed wild barley to domestication. Annual and perennial accessions differed in resource allocation: annuals had higher harvest index and leaf and grain nitrogen, while perennials produced carbon-rich tissues and sustained vegetative growth. Seasonal temperature variation shaped trait syndromes: annual traits aligned with temperature in the driest quarter, reflecting selection under terminal stress, while perennial traits correlated with temperature in the wettest quarter, the main growth phase shaping long-term performance and survival. C_LIO_LIWe provide important information on traits and climate adaptations underlying perennial persistence and annual resource strategies, relevant for developing perennial cereal crops. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2026

Beyond viability: Seed ageing alters development and phenology of adult plants

O_LIStored seeds are crucial repositories of plant genetic diversity. However, long-term storage inevitably causes seed deterioration and loss of viability, and chemical processes within the seeds during storage can influence germination and seedling establishment. Emerging evidence suggests that seed ageing can also affect traits of adult plants, yet the extent to which this phenomenon is relevant across species, particularly for wild plant species with high genetic variation, remains unclear. C_LIO_LITo address this, we focused on 14 grassland species and subjected their seeds to simulated long-term storage by exposing them to artificial ageing conditions (60% rH, 45{degrees}C). We then compared plants grown from the aged seeds with plants from fresh seeds in a common garden experiment. C_LIO_LIArtificially aged seeds germinated later, the developing seedlings had lower survival rates and reduced growth. Adult plants grown from aged seeds flowered later, produced fewer flowers, and had less biomass by the end of the first vegetation period than those from fresh seeds. The effect of the ageing treatment varied between species, but the trend was overall significant across species, with minor differences between perennials and annuals. Interestingly, in perennial plants, the effects vanished or were inverted in the second growing season, with plants growing from aged seeds flowering earlier and producing more biomass. C_LIO_LISynthesis. Our results show that seed storage affects seedling performance, plant growth, and flowering phenology. These direct storage effects should be considered when using stored seeds for species conservation, ecosystem restoration, or evolutionary research relying on stored seeds. C_LI

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2026

Small-scale fen restoration brings back key species and ecosystem functions

O_LIFen peatlands act as carbon sinks and are hotspots for specialised species, but a large proportion of fens have been drained for agricultural or forestry use. Drainage turns peatlands from carbon sink to carbon source, and negatively affects specialised biodiversity. Although restoration by rewetting can partially improve ecosystem functions, the successful recovery of specialised biota depends on previous land use. Rewetting agriculturally used fens often results in an ecosystem that does not resemble the original fen. The vegetation recovery of rewetted fens used for forestry is more promising, but our knowledge of vegetation development comes from boreal fens. It is unclear whether vegetation can successfully recover after the rewetting of forestry-drained fens in the temperate zone. C_LIO_LIOur study focused on the recovery of vegetation and peat accumulation in small fens in temperate Europe, located in a large forest complex in Germany, that had been drained for forestry and restored by rewetting over the 38 years prior to the study. We compared the restored sites to degraded and near-natural ones. We recorded vegetation composition and measured peat depth. C_LIO_LIWe demonstrate that peat layers continuously increased with time since restoration, possibly indicating peat accumulation, which is crucial for converting drained fens back into carbon sinks. The vegetation composition of the restored sites became increasingly similar to that of the near-natural sites over time, with the steepest change occurring during the first 10 years after restoration. Nevertheless, even after decades, the vegetation did not reach the quality of near-natural sites. C_LIO_LISynthesis and applications: Our results highlight that rewetting forestry-drained temperate fens can lead to partial vegetation recovery and jump-start peat formation. C_LI

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Limitations of p50 as a measure of seed longevity and the way forward

PremiseComparative studies of seed longevity assess how environmental conditions, species identity, populations, or genotypes affect seed viability loss in stored seeds. These studies commonly use the time it takes for seed viability to drop to 50% - known as p50, - as a measure of seed longevity. However, p50 is influenced by the initial seed viability. To allow comparisons regardless of the initial seed viability, standard protocols for comparative studies of seed longevity recommend using seed lots with "similar and high" initial viability, typically between 85 and 100%. However, even such range of initial seed viabilities might result in substantial variation in p50. MethodsHere, we use a modelling approach to illustrate how variation in initial viability affects p50 estimates, and to propose alternative, more robust measures of seed longevity in storage. ResultsWe show that for hypothetical accessions with identical rates of seed viability loss, variation in initial viability between 85 and 100% leads to a threefold variation in p50 estimates. Most of the unintended variation is introduced by accessions with very high viability (>95%). Restricting the initial viability to a narrower range (e.g., 85-95%) reduces but does not eliminate this bias. Alternatively, p50 can be recalculated to a standardized value of initial viability (e.g., 90%), which makes it proportional to the rate of probit viability loss without any noise. However, the most straightforward measure of seed longevity for comparative studies is the rate of viability loss itself, represented by {sigma} (sigma) from the viability equation. ConclusionThe common measure of seed longevity, p50, is affected by unintended, substantial variation caused by varying initial viability of the seed lot, and is thus suboptimal for comparative studies of seed longevity among seed accessions. More robust measures of seed longevity include the rate of viability loss, or p50 standardized to a certain initial seed viability.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Advanced flowering phenology of restored grasslands

Plants introduced to degraded ecosystems in the framework of ecosystem restoration are commonly challenged by novel environmental conditions. Consequently, plant functional traits can differ between restored and reference sites, even within individual species. Studies on such intraspecific variation mainly focused on vegetative traits, while timing of life history events, phenology, received less attention so far. To address this gap, we focused on reproductive phenology of 16 flowering plant species and compared it between 47 restored meadows and 16 reference meadows in the same region. We found that plants in restored meadows flowered on average two days earlier compared to the reference, semi-natural meadows. This trend was particularly strong among early-flowering species. The potential reasons for these phenological differences are environmental differences, such as warmer microclimatic conditions and different soil properties in restored meadows; and differences in management practices, such as earlier mowing. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of restoration outcomes and underscore the importance of considering restoration-induced phenological shifts in conservation and management practices.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Large interspecific and intraspecific variation in seed longevity in storage

PremiseConservation seed banks are essential for ex-situ plant conservation, but stored seeds slowly deteriorate and lose viability. Seed longevity in storage is determined by the initial seed viability and the rate of seed viability loss. The rate of seed viability loss in storage varies between species, and there is possibly also some variation between populations or even genotypes within species. However, the extent of this intraspecific variability and its drivers remain unclear. MethodsWe investigated both inter- and intraspecific variability in seed longevity and its predictors in 41 common grassland species and 188 seed accessions from across Europe. We exposed the seeds to artificial ageing conditions (60% RH, 45{degrees}C) and used probit analysis to obtain the rate of seed viability loss ({sigma}) as a measure of seed longevity. We then related {sigma} to both accession- and species-specific factors. Key resultsSeed longevity ({sigma}) varied significantly among accessions within 58% of the species, and the probability of detecting such intraspecific differences increased with the number of accessions available for a given species. This suggests that within-species variation in seed longevity is widespread. Accession-specific predictors explained only 14.4% of the within-species variability. Specifically, seed longevity increased with the mean annual temperature at the accession origin and decreased with the accession-specific seed weight. Across species, seed longevity differed among plant families but was unrelated to seed weight or seed chemical composition. ConclusionsOur findings highlight substantial within-species variation in seed longevity in storage, which, however, is difficult to predict.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Structural variants underlie parallel adaptation following global invasion

Rapid adaptation during invasion has historically been considered limited and unpredictable. We leverage whole-genome sequencing of >2600 plants across six continents to investigate the relative roles of colonization history and adaptation during the worldwide invasion of Trifolium repens. Introduced populations contain high levels of genetic variation with independent colonization histories evident on different continents. Five large structural variants on three chromosomes exist as standing genetic variation within the native range, and exhibit strong signatures of parallel climate-associated adaptation across continents. Common gardens in the native and introduced ranges demonstrate that three structural variants exhibit patterns of selection consistent with local adaptation across each range. Our results provide strong evidence that rapid and parallel adaptation during invasion is caused by large-effect structural variants introduced throughout the world. Significance StatementBiological invasions occur over short timescales and introductions are often hypothesized to include limited genetic diversity, making the role of adaptation in invasion success controversial. We demonstrate that the invasion of a human-commensal species, Trifolium repens, likely stems from multiple, diverse introductions with significant evidence of climate-associated adaptation following introduction. The genetic basis of adaptation is most strongly linked to five chromosomal rearrangements that each span hundreds of genes - matching theoretical predictions that large-effect variants are key to the initial stages of adaptation to novel environments. Chromosomal rearrangements have remarkably parallel signatures of adaptation across different introductions despite initial colonization from different areas of Europe. Our study highlights the impact of globalization and rapid adaptation for the invasion success of human commensal species.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Plants cultivated for ecosystem restoration can evolve towards a domestication syndrome

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration calls for upscaling restoration efforts, but many terrestrial restoration projects are constrained by seed availability. To overcome these constraints, wild plants are increasingly propagated on farms to produce seeds for restoration projects. During on-farm propagation, the plants face non-natural conditions with different selection pressures, and they might evolve adaptations to cultivation that parallel those of agricultural crops, which could be detrimental to restoration efforts. To test this, we compared traits of 19 species grown from wild-collected seeds to those from their farm-propagated offspring of up to four cultivation generations, produced by two European seed growers, in a common garden experiment. We found that some plants rapidly evolved across cultivated generations towards increased size and reproduction, lower within-species variability, and more synchronized flowering. In one species, we found evolution towards less seed shattering. These trait changes are typical signs of the crop domestication syndrome, and our study demonstrates that it can also occur during cultivation of wild plants, within only few cultivated generations. However, there was large variability between cultivation lineages, and the observed effect sizes were generally rather moderate, which suggests that the detected evolutionary changes are unlikely to compromise farm-propagated seeds for ecosystem restoration. To mitigate the potential negative effects of unintended selection, we recommend to limit the maximum number of generations the plants can be cultivated without replenishing the seed stock from new wild collections. Significance StatementGlobally upscaling demands for native seeds for ecosystem restoration can be covered by agricultural seed propagation. Yet, agricultural practice can unintentionally select for specific traits and reduce adaptive variability, which could affect plant performance once sown back to the wild. We show, across 19 wild species, two seed producers and up to four consecutive cultivated generations, that some plants under cultivation evolved higher vigor, reduced adaptive variability, synchronized flowering and in one case, reduced seed shattering. Yet, there were substantial differences among cultivation lineages, with negligible changes in most, and large changes only in a few cases. Substantial unintended evolution in cultivation is thus rather an exception than the rule.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2023

Sustainable seed harvesting in wild plant populations

Seed harvesting from wild plant populations is key for ecological restoration, but may threaten the persistence of source populations. Consequently, several countries have set guidelines limiting the proportions of harvestable seeds. However, these guidelines are so far inconsistent, and they lack a solid empirical basis. Here, we use high-resolution data from 298 plant species to model the demographic consequences of seed harvesting. We find that the current guidelines do not protect populations of annuals and short-lived perennials, while they are overly restrictive for long-lived plants. We show that the maximum possible fraction of seed production - what can be harvested without compromising the long-term persistence of populations - is strongly related to the generation time of the target species. When harvesting every year, this safe seed fraction ranges from 80% in long-lived species to 2% in most annuals. Less frequent seed harvesting substantially increases the safe seed fraction: In the most vulnerable annual species, it is safe to harvest 5%, 10% or 30% of population seed production when harvesting every two, five or ten years, respectively. Our results provide a quantitative basis for seed harvesting legislations worldwide, based on species generation time and harvesting regime. SignificanceThe UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, 2021-2030, foresees upscaling restoration, and the demand for native seed is skyrocketing. Seeds for restoring native vegetation are often harvested in wild, but too intensive harvest can threaten the donor populations. Existing guidelines that set limits to wild seed harvest are mostly based on expert opinions, yet they commonly lack empirical basis and vary among regions in one order of magnitude. We show that the current guidelines urgently need to be reformulated, because they are overly restrictive in long-lived species, while they do not protect annual plants from extinction. Using matrix population models of nearly 300 plant species, we provide a quantitative basis for a new seed harvesting legislation world-wide.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2022

Rapid evolution of flower phenology and clonality in restored populations of multiple grassland species

Restoration of terrestrial ecosystems often requires re-introduction of plants. In restored sites, the plants often face environment that differs from the one in natural populations. This which can affect plant traits, reduce performance and impose novel selection pressures. As a response, restored populations might rapidly evolve and adapt to the novel conditions. This may enhance population survival and contribute to restoration success, but has been rarely tested so far. Here, we focused on populations of three grassland species restored 20 years ago (Galium wirtgenii, Inula salicina and Centaurea jacea) by the transfer of green hay, and compared them with populations that were source of the hay. We measured plants both in-situ, and in common garden under control and three stress conditions. In-situ, restored and natural populations differed in flowering phenology in two out of the three species. In the common garden, plants of the restored population flowered earlier (in Galium) or showed increased plasticity of clonal propagation in response to clipping (Inula). Both these traits suggest rapid adaptation to the contrasting mowing regimes in restored in comparison to the natural donor sites. In Centaurea, we detected no differentiation, neither in-situ, nor in the common garden. Rapid evolution in two out of three species indicates that evolution in restoration may be rather common, yet not ubiquitous across species.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Evolution during seed production for ecological restoration? A molecular analysis of 19 species finds only minor genomic changes

A growing number of restoration projects require large amounts of seeds. As harvesting natural populations cannot cover the demand, wild plants are often propagated in large-scale monocultures. There are concerns that this cultivation process may cause genetic drift and unintended selection, which would alter the genetic properties of the cultivated populations and reduce their genetic diversity. Such changes could reduce the pre-existing adaptation of restored populations, and limit their adaptability to environmental change. We used single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and a pool-sequencing approach to test for genetic differentiation and changes in gene diversity during cultivation in 19 wild grassland species, comparing the source populations and up to four consecutive cultivation generations grown from these sources. We then linked the magnitudes of genetic changes to the species breeding systems and seed dormancy, to understand the roles of these traits in genetic change. The propagation of native seeds for ecosystem restoration changed the genetic composition of the cultivated generations only moderately. The genetic differentiation we observed as a consequence of cultivation was much lower than the natural genetic differentiation between different source regions, and the propagated generations harbored even higher gene diversity than wild-collected seeds. Genetic change was stronger in self-compatible species, probably as a result of increased outcrossing in the monocultures. Synthesis and applicationsOur study indicates that large-scale seed production maintains the genetic integrity of natural populations. Increased genetic diversity may even increase the adaptive potential of propagated seeds, which makes them especially suitable for ecological restoration. However, we have been working with seeds from Germany and Austria, where the seed production is regulated and certified. Whether other seed production systems perform equally well remains to be tested.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

The choice of plant provenance for ecological restoration affects pollinator network

The selection of plant provenance for ecological restoration is an intensively debated topic. Throughout this debate, arguments mostly focus on plant performance, but little attention is paid to the effects of provenance on other members of the restored ecosystem. On the other hand, in restoration projects that focus specifically on supporting interacting biota, for example flower stripes among fields to support pollinators, the provenance choice is often not considered, partly because the effect of provenance on pollinators is unknown. In this pioneering case study, we tested whether pollinators differentiate between experimental plant communities of different provenances. We established experimental plant communities with the same species composition but with plants originating from three different provenances. We then recorded plant phenology and observed pollinators and flower visitors interacting with these experimental communities and related the pollinator visitation to the provenance identity. The provenances of the experimental plant communities had a strong and significant effect on the diversity and abundance of flower-pollinator interactions, with one provenance interacting twice as often as the other two provenances. The effect was driven by the differences in flowering phenology among provenances. Synthesis and applicationsPlant provenances substantially differ in their interactions with local pollinators. Therefore, the selection of plant provenance should be considered when planning restoration projects for the support of pollinators.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

Less is more! Rapid increase in plant species richness after reduced mowing of urban grasslands

Urban lawns provide space for recreation in cities, and they are an important part of urban green infrastructures. However, most lawns are intensively managed. As only few plant species can survive the frequent mowing, urban lawns typically harbor only a limited number of plant species. To improve the biodiversity of urban lawns, it is often suggested to reduce the mowing frequency. Here, we studied the plant diversity of urban grasslands that have recently undergone management changes from mowing every few weeks to mowing only once or twice per season and compared them to intensively managed lawns. Within six years after the management changes, the grasslands with reduced mowing frequency indeed hosted 30% more plant species than intensively managed lawns, and they were more heterogeneous both within and between grasslands. Additionally, the species composition of less frequently mown grasslands shifted from common mowing-tolerant lawn species to typical meadow species. Our study thus shows that the reduction of mowing is a simple and effective tool for increasing the biodiversity in urban grasslands.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

Native seed addition as an effective tool for post-invasive restoration

Invasive plant species reduce biodiversity, alter ecosystem processes, and cause economic losses. Control of invasive plants is therefore highly desired by land managers and policy makers. However, invasive plant control strategies frequently fail, partly because management often concentrates only on the eradication of invasive plants and not on revegetation with native species that use the available resources and prevent reinvasion. In this study, we focused on the intracontinental invader Rumex alpinus L., which was introduced by humans from the Alps to the lower mountains of Central Europe, where it has spread to semi-natural meadows, suppresses local biodiversity, and reduces the quality of hay used as cattle fodder. The species can be effectively removed using herbicide, but this leaves behind a persistent seed bank. Without further treatment, the invader rapidly regenerates and reinvades the area. We supplemented the herbicide treatment by adding the seeds of native grasses. Addition of native-seed effectively suppressed the regeneration of the invader from the seed bank, reduced its biomass, and consequently, prevented massive reinvasion. While the invader removal was successful, the restored community remained species-poor because the dense sward of native grasses blocked the regeneration of native forbs from the seed bank. Nevertheless, the addition of native seed proved to be an effective tool in preventing reinvasion after the eradication of the invasive plant.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

Long-term effects of fire on Arctic tundra vegetation in Western Siberia

Wildfires are relatively rare in subarctic tundra ecosystems, but they can strongly change ecosystem properties. Short-term fire effects on subarctic tundra vegetation are well documented, but long-term vegetation recovery has been studied less. The frequency of tundra fires will increase with climate warming. Understanding the long-term effects of fire is necessary to predict future ecosystem changes. We used a space-for-time approach to assess vegetation recovery after fire over more than four decades. We studied soil and vegetation patterns on three large fire scars (>44, 28 and 12 years old) in dry, lichen-dominated forest tundra in Western Siberia. On 60 plots, we determined soil temperature and permafrost thaw depth, sampled vegetation and measured plant functional traits. We assessed trends in NDVI to support the field-based results on vegetation recovery. Soil temperature, permafrost thaw depth and total vegetation cover had recovered to pre-fire levels after >44 years, as well as total vegetation cover. In contrast, after >44 years, functional groups had not recovered to the pre-fire state. Burnt areas had lower lichen and higher bryophyte and shrub cover. The dominating shrub species, Betula nana, exhibited a higher vitality (higher specific leaf area and plant height) on burnt compared with control plots, suggesting a fire legacy effect in shrub growth. Our results confirm patterns of shrub encroachment after fire that were detected before in other parts of the Arctic and Subarctic. In the so far poorly studied Western Siberian forest tundra we demonstrate for the first time, long-term fire-legacies on the functional composition of relatively dry shrub- and lichen-dominated vegetation. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=173 SRC="FIGDIR/small/756163v3_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (52K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@3ffa0borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@39198borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@bbf8e4org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@d1704c_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

ecology↗

bioRxiv2019

Effects of forest management on the phenology of early-flowering understory herbs

Many organisms respond to anthropogenic environmental change through shifts in their phenology. In plants, flowering is largely driven by temperature, and therefore affected by climate change. However, on smaller scales climatic conditions are also influenced by other factors, including habitat structure. A group of plants with a particularly distinct phenology are the understorey herbs in temperate forests. In these forests, management alters tree species composition and stand structure and, as a consequence, light conditions and microclimate. Forest management should thus also affect the phenology of understorey herbs. To test this, we recorded the flowering phenology of 20 early-flowering herbs on 100 forest plots varying in management intensity, from near-natural to intensely managed forests, in Central and Southern Germany. We found that in forest stands with a high management intensity the plants flowered on average about two weeks later than in unmanaged forests. This was largely because management also affected microclimate (e.g. spring temperatures of 5.9 {degrees}C in managed coniferous, 6.7 in managed deciduous and 7.0 {degrees}C in unmanaged deciduous plots), which in turn affected phenology, with plants flowering later on colder and moister forest stands (+4.5 days per -1{degrees}C and 2.7 days per 10 % humidity increase). Among forest characteristics, the main tree species as well as the age, overall crown projection area, structural complexity and spatial distribution of trees had the greatest influence on microclimate. Our study demonstrates that forest management alters plant phenology, with potential far-reaching consequences for the ecology and evolution of understorey communities. More generally, our study suggests that besides climate change other drivers of environmental change, too, can influence the phenology of organisms.

ecology↗