Abstract:

To explore the phenological characters of common ligneous species in Wuhan urban forest, based on the phenological observation data of 18 tree species for 3 consecutive years, the main phonological characters of tree species were studied, the phenological spectrum was drawn and the correlation between phonological phenomena was analyzed. The relationship between tree phenological phase and environmental factors such as temperature and precipitation was studied using principal component analysis. The major environmental impact factors for sprouting period, leaf-expansion period, flowering period and fruit maturation period were ≥5℃ temperature accumulation, average temperature and cumulative rainfall, and those for defoliation period were average temperature, average rainfall and ≥5℃ temperature accumulation. In addition, different environmental factors had different positive and negative effects in different phenological periods. Phenotypic cluster analysis was carried out on sprouting period, leaf-expansion period, flowering period and fruit maturation period, 3 types of sprouting period, 2 types of leaf-expansion period, 3 types of flowering period and 3 types of fruit maturation period were determined preliminarily. Moreover, different phenological types were connected and combined according to “sprouting type+ leaf-expansion type+ flowering type+ fruit maturation type”, 18 tree species were classified into 9 phonological types. The study is helpful to understand the phenological change characters of common tree species in Wuhan, and provides a scientific basis for the species selection, tree cultivation management and benefit evaluation of urban forest.

Key words: ligneous plants, phenology, phenological spectrum, urban forest, Wuhan