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At least 1,585 records · Page 88Linked to original sources

Constraining magma storage conditions of the Toba magmatic system: A plagioclase and amphibole perspective

Silicic magma reservoirs are responsible for producing the largest explosive eruptions in the geologic record. Petrologic and geochronological data provide evidence for these systems spending substantial periods of time (10 4 –10 5 yrs) within the upper crust prior to eruption; however, the long-term thermochemical evolution of these systems is not fully understood, as existing petrologic data make it challenging to quantify the time interval a magmatic system has spent at certain temperatures, or its “thermal history”. Here, we investigate the 74 ka Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT), one of the largest explosive eruptions in the geologic record, to better constrain the long-term thermal evolution of its magmatic system. We combine forward models of Sr diffusion in plagioclase and hornblende, mineral thermometry, and pre-existing trace-element evolution models to quantify the thermochemical evolution of the YTT magmatic system. We find that plagioclase crystals record decades to centuries of storage at temperatures 750 C, while hornblende records up to 6200 years at the same temperatures. Hornblende crystallizes at temperatures around 820 C and adjusting our diffusion modeling to this temperature results in no more than 900 years at initial crystallization conditions. Combined with previous trace-element modeling work, these results indicate that although there was chemical diversity for long durations in the YTT magma system sufficient to produce unique composition eruptive products, the entire system was experiencing a relatively similar thermal history that did not allow for large bodies of eruptible magma to be present for long periods ( 10 2 –10 3 years). Rather, we suggest that magmas within the YTT magmatic system were stored for long durations at thermal conditions where they were uneruptible and only remobilized within a few centuries prior to eruption.

Sumatra↗

Population cycles are highly correlated over long time series and large spatial scales in two unrelated species: Greater sage-grouse and cottontail rabbits

Animal species across multiple taxa demonstrate multi-annual population cycles, which have long been of interest to ecologists. Correlated population cycles between species that do not share a predator–prey relationship are particularly intriguing and challenging to explain. We investigated annual population trends of greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) and cottontail rabbits ( Sylvilagus sp.) across Wyoming to explore the possibility of correlations between unrelated species, over multiple cycles, very large spatial areas, and relatively southern latitudes in terms of cycling species. We analyzed sage-grouse lek counts and annual hunter harvest indices from 1982 to 2007. We show that greater sage-grouse, currently listed as warranted but precluded under the US Endangered Species Act, and cottontails have highly correlated cycles ( r = 0.77). We explore possible mechanistic hypotheses to explain the synchronous population cycles. Our research highlights the importance of control populations in both adaptive management and impact studies. Furthermore, we demonstrate the functional value of these indices (lek counts and hunter harvest) for tracking broad-scale fluctuations in the species. This level of highly correlated long-term cycling has not previously been documented between two non-related species, over a long time-series, very large spatial scale, and within more southern latitudes.

Wyoming↗

Decomposition and nitrogen dynamics of 15 N-labeled leaf, root, and twig litter in temperate coniferous forests

Litter nutrient dynamics contribute significantly to biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems. We examined how site environment and initial substrate quality influence decomposition and nitrogen (N) dynamics of multiple litter types. A 2.5-year decomposition study was installed in the Oregon Coast Range and West Cascades using 15 N-labeled litter from Acer macrophyllum, Picea sitchensis, and Pseudotsuga menziesii. Mass loss for leaf litter was similar between the two sites, while root and twig litter exhibited greater mass loss in the Coast Range. Mass loss was greatest from leaves and roots, and species differences in mass loss were more prominent in the Coast Range. All litter types and species mineralized N early in the decomposition process; only A. macrophyllum leaves exhibited a net N immobilization phase. There were no site differences with respect to litter N dynamics despite differences in site N availability, and litter N mineralization patterns were species-specific. For multiple litter × species combinations, the difference between gross and net N mineralization was significant, and gross mineralization was 7–20 % greater than net mineralization. The mineralization results suggest that initial litter chemistry may be an important driver of litter N dynamics. Our study demonstrates that greater amounts of N are cycling through these systems than may be quantified by only measuring net mineralization and challenges current leaf-based biogeochemical theory regarding patterns of N immobilization and mineralization.

Oecologia↗

Relaxed selection causes microevolution of seawater osmoregulation and gene expression in landlocked Alewives

Ecological transitions from marine to freshwater environments have been important in the creation of diversity among fishes. Evolutionary changes associated with these transitions likely involve modifications of osmoregulatory function. In particular, relaxed selection on hypo-osmoregulation should strongly affect animals that transition into novel freshwater environments. We used populations of the Alewife ( Alosa pseudoharengus ) to study evolutionary shifts in hypo-osmoregulatory capacity and ion regulation associated with freshwater transitions. Alewives are ancestrally anadromous, but multiple populations in Connecticut have been independently restricted to freshwater lakes; these landlocked populations complete their entire life cycle in freshwater. Juvenile landlocked and anadromous Alewives were exposed to three salinities (1, 20 and 30 ppt) in small enclosures within the lake. We detected strong differentiation between life history forms: landlocked Alewives exhibited reduced seawater tolerance and hypo-osmoregulatory performance compared to anadromous Alewives. Furthermore, gill Na + /K + -ATPase activity and transcription of genes for seawater osmoregulation (NKCC—Na + /K + /2Cl − cotransporter and CFTR—cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) exhibited reduced responsiveness to seawater challenge. Our study demonstrates that adaptations of marine-derived species to completely freshwater life cycles involve partial loss of seawater osmoregulatory performance mediated through changes to ion regulation in the gill.

Connecticut↗

Learning rate and temperament in a high predation risk environment

Living in challenging environments can influence the behavior of animals in a number of ways. For instance, populations of prey fish that experience frequent, nonlethal interactions with predators have a high proportion of individuals that express greater reaction to risk and increased activity and exploration—collectively known as temperament traits. Temperament traits are often correlated, such that individuals that are risk-prone also tend to be active and explore more. Spatial learning, which requires the integration of many sensory cues, has also been shown to vary in fish exposed to different levels of predation threat. Fish from areas of low predation risk learn to solve spatial tasks faster than fish from high predation areas. However, it is not yet known whether simpler forms of learning, such as learning associations between two events, are similarly influenced. Simple forms of associative learning are likely to be affected by temperament because a willingness to approach and explore novel situations could provide animals with a learning advantage. However, it is possible that routine-forming and inflexible traits associated with risk-prone and increased exploratory behavior may act in the opposite way and make risk-prone individuals poorer at learning associations. To investigate this, we measured temperament in Panamanian bishop fish ( Brachyrhaphis episcopi ) sampled from a site known to contain many predators. The B. episcopi were then tested with an associative learning task. Within this population, fish that explored more were faster at learning a cue that predicted access to food, indicating a link between temperament and basic learning abilities.

Oecologia↗

Climatic controls of aboveground net primary production in semi-arid grasslands along a latitudinal gradient portend low sensitivity to warming

Although climate models forecast warmer temperatures with a high degree of certainty, precipitation is the primary driver of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in most grasslands. Conversely, variations in temperature seldom are related to patterns of ANPP. Thus forecasting responses to warming is a challenge, and raises the question: how sensitive will grassland ANPP be to warming? We evaluated climate and multi-year ANPP data (67 years) from eight western US grasslands arrayed along mean annual temperature (MAT; ~7-14 °C) and mean annual precipitation (MAP; ~250-500 mm) gradients. Weused regression and analysis of covariance to assess relationships between ANPP and temperature, as well as precipitation (annual and growing season) to evaluate temperature sensitivity of ANPP. We also related ANPP to the standardized precipitation evaporation index (SPEI), which combines precipitation and evapotranspiration to better represent moisture available for plant growth. Regression models indicated that variation in growing season temperature was negatively related to total and graminoid ANPP, but precipitation was a stronger predictor than temperature. Growing season temperature was also a significant parameter in more complex models, but again precipitation was consistently a stronger predictor of ANPP. Surprisingly, neither annual nor growing season SPEI were as strongly related to ANPP as precipitation. We conclude that forecasted warming likely will affect ANPP in these grasslands, but that predicting temperature effects from natural climatic gradients is difficult. This is because, unlike precipitation, warming effects can be positive or negative and moderated by shifts in the C3/C4 ratios of plant communities.

Oecologia↗

Mechanism of the 1996-97 non-eruptive volcano-tectonic earthquake swarm at Iliamna Volcano, Alaska

A significant number of volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquake swarms, some of which are accompanied by ground deformation and/or volcanic gas emissions, do not culminate in an eruption. These swarms are often thought to represent stalled intrusions of magma into the mid- or shallow-level crust. Real-time assessment of the likelihood that a VT swarm will culminate in an eruption is one of the key challenges of volcano monitoring, and retrospective analysis of non-eruptive swarms provides an important framework for future assessments. Here we explore models for a non-eruptive VT earthquake swarm located beneath Iliamna Volcano, Alaska, in May 1996–June 1997 through calculation and inversion of fault-plane solutions for swarm and background periods, and through Coulomb stress modeling of faulting types and hypocenter locations observed during the swarm. Through a comparison of models of deep and shallow intrusions to swarm observations, we aim to test the hypothesis that the 1996–97 swarm represented a shallow intrusion, or “failed” eruption. Observations of the 1996–97 swarm are found to be consistent with several scenarios including both shallow and deep intrusion, most likely involving a relatively small volume of intruded magma and/or a low degree of magma pressurization corresponding to a relatively low likelihood of eruption.

Alaska↗

The 2004–2008 dome-building eruption at Mount St. Helens, Washington: Epilogue

The 2004–2008 dome-building eruption at Mount St. Helens ended during winter 2007–2008 at a time when field observations were hampered by persistent bad weather. As a result, recognizing the end of the eruption was challenging—but important for scientists trying to understand how and why long-lived eruptions end and for public officials and land managers responsible for hazards mitigation and access restrictions. In hindsight, the end of the eruption was presaged by a slight increase in seismicity in December 2007 that culminated on January 12–13, 2008, with a burst of more than 500 events, most of which occurred in association with several tremor-like signals and a spasmodic burst of long-period earthquakes. At about the same time, a series of regular, localized, small-amplitude tilt events—thousands of which had been recorded during earlier phases of the eruption—came to an end. Thereafter, seismicity declined to 10–20 events per day until January 27–28, when a spasmodic burst of about 50 volcano-tectonic earthquakes occurred over a span of 3 h. This was followed by a brief return of repetitive “drumbeat” earthquakes that characterized much of the eruption. By January 31, however, seismicity had declined to 1–2 earthquakes per day, a rate similar to pre-eruption levels. We attribute the tilt and seismic observations to convulsive stagnation of a semisolid magma plug in the upper part of the conduit. The upward movement of the plug ceased when the excess driving pressure, which had gradually decreased throughout the eruption as a result of reservoir deflation and increasing overburden from the growing dome, was overcome by increasing friction as a result of cooling and crystallization of the plug.

Washington↗

High-speed lava flow infrasound from Kīlauea’s fissure 8 and its utility in monitoring effusion rate

The 2018 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano produced large and destructive lava flows from the fissure 8 (Ahu ‘aila ‘au) vent with flow velocities up to 17 m s −1 , highly variable effusion rates over both short (minutes) and long (hours) time scales, and a proximal channel or spillway that displayed flow features similar to open channel flow in river systems. Monitoring such dynamic vent and lava flow systems is a challenge. Our results demonstrate that infrasound, combined with ground-based observations and imagery from unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS), can be used to distinguish vent degassing activity from high-speed lava flow activity. We use spectral characteristics and the infrasound frequency index (FI) to distinguish spillway infrasound from vent infrasound. Comparing FI with flow speeds derived from UAS videos reveals that spillway infrasound only occurs when flow speeds were sufficiently high to cause a supercritical flow state and breaking waves (Froude values > 1.7), and we propose that the spillway signals are produced primarily through the interaction of the turbulent lava-free surface with the atmosphere. We show that FI can also provide a means to track bulk effusion rate. Our results indicate that infrasound offers a new way to characterize lava flow channel hydraulics and is a powerful tool for monitoring effusive eruptions when high-speed flows are possible.

Hawaii↗

Progress in protecting air travel from volcanic ash clouds

The Eyjafjallajökull eruption of 2010 demonstrated the far-reaching impact of ash clouds and the vulnerability of our jet-based society to them, prompting a review of procedures to detect, warn, and forecast ash cloud hazards to aviation. The years since 2010 have seen marked improvements in satellite technology, more accurate ash-dispersion models that integrate simulations with observations, and more thoroughly vetted and harmonized procedures for forecasting and communicating hazards. In the coming decade, we expect these trends to continue, with formal warning products migrating from text and simplified maps to 4D data streams. This paper details some of these advancements and challenges ahead.

Bulletin of Volcanology↗

A look ahead to the next decade at US volcano observatories

Volcano monitoring, eruption response, and hazard assessment at volcanoes in the United States of America (US) fall under the mandate of five regional volcano observatories covering 161 active volcanoes. Working in a wide range of volcanic and geographic settings, US observatories must learn from and apply new knowledge and techniques to a great variety of scientific and hazard communication problems in volcanology. Over the past decade, experience during volcanic crises, such as the landmark 2018 eruption of Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi, has combined with investments and advances in research and technology, and the changing needs of partner agencies and the public, to transform the operations, science, and communication programs of US volcano observatories. Scientific and operational lessons from the past decade now guide new research and growing inter-observatory and external communication networks to meet new challenges and improve detection, forecasting, and response to volcanic eruptions in the US and around the world.

Bulletin of Volcanology↗

Lateral edifice collapse and volcanic debris avalanches: A post-1980 Mount St. Helens perspective

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was instrumental in advancing understanding of how volcanoes work. Lateral edifice collapses and the generation of volcanic debris avalanches were not widely recognized prior to that eruption, making assessment of their hazards and risks challenging. The proliferation of studies since 1980 on resulting deposits and evaluation of processes leading to their generation has built on the insights from the 1980 eruption. Volcano-related destabilizing phenomena, such as strength reduction by hydrothermal alteration, deformation and structural modifications from shallow magma intrusion, and thermal pressurization of pore fluids supplement those factors also affecting nonvolcanic slopes and can lead to larger failures. Remote and ground-based monitoring techniques can aid in detecting potentially destabilizing dynamic processes and in forecasting the size and location of future large lateral collapses, although forecasting remains a topic of investigation. More than a thousand large lateral collapse events likely ≥ 0.01 km 3 in volume have now been identified from deposits or inferred from source area morphology, leading to a recognition of their importance in the evolution of volcanoes and the hazards they pose. Criteria for recognition of debris-avalanche deposits include morphological factors and textural characteristics from outcrop to microscopic scale, allowing discrimination from other volcaniclastic deposits. Lateral edifice failure impacts a broad spectrum of volcanic structures in diverse tectonic settings and can occur multiple times during the evolution of individual volcanoes. Globally, collapses ≥ 0.1 km 3 in volume have been documented 5–6 times per century since 1500 CE, with about one per century having a volume ≥ 1 km 3 . Smaller events < 0.1 km 3 are underrepresented in the earlier record but also have high hazard impact.

Wasgington↗

Development of a volcanic risk management system at Mount St. Helens—1980 to present

Here, we review volcanic risk management at Mount St. Helens from the perspective of the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) experience over the four decades since its 18 May 1980 climactic eruption. Prior to 1980, volcano monitoring, multidisciplinary eruption forecasting, and interagency coordination for eruption response were new to the Cascade Range. A Mount St. Helens volcano hazards assessment had recently been published and volcanic crisis response capabilities tested during 1975 thermal unrest at nearby Mount Baker. Volcanic unrest began in March 1980, accelerating the rate of advance of volcano monitoring, prompting coordinated eruption forecasting and hazards communication, and motivating emergency response planning. The destruction caused by the 18 May 1980 eruption led to an enormous emergency response effort and prompted extensive coordination and planning for continuing eruptive activity. Eruptions continued with pulsatory dome growth and explosive eruptions over the following 6 years and with transport of sediment downstream over many more. In response, USGS scientists and their partners expanded their staffing, deployed new instruments, developed new tools (including the first use of a volcanic event tree) for eruption forecasting, and created new pathways for agency internal and external communication. Involvement in the Mount St. Helens response motivated the establishment of response measures at other Cascade Range volcanoes. Since assembly during the early and mid-1990s, volcano hazard working groups continue to unite scientists, emergency and land managers, tribal nations, and community leaders in common cause for the promotion of risk reduction. By the onset of renewed volcanic activity in 2004, these new systems enabled a more efficient response that was greatly facilitated by the participation of organizations within volcano hazard working groups. Although the magnitude of the 2004 eruptive sequence was much smaller than that of 1980, a new challenge emerged focused on hazard communication demands. Since 2008, our understanding of Mount St. Helens volcanic system has improved, helping us refine hazard assessments and eruption forecasts. Some professions have worked independently to apply the Mount St. Helens story to their products and services. Planning meetings and working group activities fortify partnerships among information disseminators, policy and decision-makers, scientists, and communities. We call the sum of these pieces the Volcanic Risk Management System (VRMS). In its most robust form, the VRMS encompasses effective production and coordinated exchange of volcano hazards and risk information among all interested parties.

Washington↗

Complex staged emplacement of a basaltic lava: The example of the July 1974 flow of Kīlauea

Basaltic lava flows can be highly destructive. Forecasting the future path and/or behavior of an active lava flow is challenging because topography is often poorly constrained and lava has a complex rheology and emplacement history. Preserved lavas are an important source of information which, combined with observations of active flows, underpins conceptual models of lava flow emplacement. However, the value of preserved lavas is limited because pre-eruptive topography and, thus, syn-eruptive lava flow geometry are usually not known. Here, we use tree-mold data to constrain pre-eruptive topography and syn-eruptive lava flow geometry of the July 1974 flow of Kīlauea (USA). Tree molds, which are formed after advancing lava encloses standing trees, preserve the lava inundation height and the final preserved thickness of lava. We used data from 282 tree molds to reconstruct the temporal and spatial evolution of the ~ 2.1 km-long July 1974 flow. The tree mold dataset yields a detailed dynamic picture of staged emplacement, separated by intervals of ponding. In some ponded areas, flow depth during emplacement (~ 5 m) was twice the preserved thickness of the final lava (2–3 m). Drainage of the ponds led to episodic surges in flow advancement, decoupled from fluctuations in vent discharge rate. We infer that the final breakout occurred after the cessation of fountaining. Such complex emplacement histories may be common for pāhoehoe lavas at Kīlauea and elsewhere in situations where the terrain is of variable slope, and/or where lava is temporarily perched and stored.

Hawaii↗

Characteristics of volcanic ash reveal changes in fragmentation and eruption dynamics at Poás volcano, Costa Rica, 2016–2019

Determining whether fresh magma has reached the surface during a volcanic eruption can provide important information for forecasts of future activity, especially in the early stages of an eruption. However, identifying fresh, juvenile pyroclasts in tephra fall deposits can be challenging and inconclusive. We studied the products of explosions at Poás volcano, Costa Rica, in 2016–2019, a period during which the volcano transitioned from a pressurized, hydrothermally sealed state to an open conduit with increased degassing to the atmosphere. The activity consisted of semi-continuous explosions producing <500-m-high plumes, with the exception of explosions on April 14 and 22, 2017, that produced 4-km-high plumes. We analyzed the grain size distribution, componentry, and particle density of the products of twenty explosions, and collected groundmass glass composition on juvenile particles for three of them. Our work demonstrates varying degrees of magma involvement with the hydrothermal system through time, with juvenile material representing a wide range of abundance (~10–70 vol.%) in deposits of individual explosions. Before early April 2017, we infer that small phreatomagmatic explosions were triggered by contact between magmatic fluids and/or magma and the hydrothermal system, based on the presence of abundant hydrothermal fragments and minor juvenile magma. Concurrent with decreasing hydrothermal component in the deposits, explosions in April–May 2017 eroded the walls of the shallow plumbing system, evidenced by an increase in wall-rock lithics in the deposits. These changes coincided with drying of the crater lake, leading to several magmatic explosions in April-September 2017, whose juvenile-rich deposits are consistent with primary fragmentation of fresh magma in the conduit. The eruptive activity changed after this magmatic phase, and in 2019, small explosions mostly recycled the heterogeneous deposits of previous events, producing fine material with high proportions of recycled particles. All explosions from 2016–2019 remobilized already-emplaced magma from the 1953–1955 eruptive period, although distinct glass compositions between explosions suggest difference in crystallization or they tapped different portions of this magma body. Our work sheds light on the eruption dynamics and shallow plumbing system of this persistently active volcano and provides a case study for understanding the variable efficiency of phreatomagmatic fragmentation.

Poás volcano↗

A decade of precursory seismicity at Mauna Loa: 2013–2022

The 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa was preceded by nearly 10 years of seismic unrest. Using the earthquake catalog of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, we describe and explore many aspects of unrest between January 1, 2013, and the start of the eruption on November 28, 2022 (UTC). Earthquakes associated with unrest occurred above an inflating dike at shallow depths under and to the south of Moku‘āweoweo and in the cluster of seismicity to the west of Moku‘āweoweo associated with a buried rift zone. Earthquakes also occurred in a broad region at the base of the crust, likely associated with a zone of magma accumulation. Unrest is broken down into four phases of increasing intensity with time and into individual geographic regions. While activity occurring at shallow depths under the caldera often alternated with activity on the west flank in the first two phases of unrest, the third phase of unrest featured increased rates of earthquake activity in both areas acting concurrently. We also document a slow shift in seismicity across multiple years from the south of Moku‘āweoweo to an area under the caldera that likely represents a change in the location of the intrusion through time. Broadly speaking, unrest observed in advance of the 2022 eruption occurred in the same areas as the unrest preceding eruptions in 1975 and 1984. Furthermore, precursory unrest prior to eruptions in 1975, 1984 and 2022 lasted years and culminated in an intense phase of seismic activity lasting on the order of hours that represented the final dike propagation to the surface. Concurrent earthquake activity under Moku‘āweoweo and the west flank of Mauna Loa, paired with a shift in earthquakes under Moku‘āweoweo were the two most notable long-term precursors to an eruption; however, neither provided an actionable timeline of an impending eruption. The decade of precursory seismicity prior to the 2022 eruption is similar to long precursory phases prior to eruptions in 1975 and 1984 and underscores the challenges of informing on eruption hazards in a timely manner. By combining seismic activity with other geophysical fields such as geodesy and gravity, we present a conceptual model to aid in the interpretation of future unrest at Mauna Loa.

Hawaii↗

Between quiescence and crisis: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory communication and response strategies on the Island of Hawaiʻi

Over the past two centuries, eruptions of Mauna Loa volcano have damaged infrastructure and destroyed several communities on the Island of Hawaiʻi. Future eruptions will impact existing population centers and critical infrastructure, which continue to grow each year. The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has developed and practiced methods to promote eruption preparedness in communities on the Island of Hawaiʻi, particularly over the past three decades during which Mauna Loa was quiescent while Kīlauea volcano erupted frequently. Here, we summarize the observatory’s efforts to increase awareness of hazards associated with Hawaiian volcanoes and describe how lessons learned during responses to past volcanic crises on Kīlauea were applied prior to and during the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption, highlighting new response communication challenges encountered during the event. Additionally, we identify potential avenues for future communication/outreach on the Island of Hawaiʻi, such as expanding efforts in communities located in high-hazard areas and striving to be more culturally and linguistically inclusive in our communication techniques.

Hawaii↗

Ten best practices for effective phenological research

The number and diversity of phenological studies has increased rapidly in recent years. Innovative experiments, field studies, citizen science projects, and analyses of newly available historical data are contributing insights that advance our understanding of ecological and evolutionary responses to the environment, particularly climate change. However, many phenological data sets have peculiarities that are not immediately obvious and can lead to mistakes in analyses and interpretation of results. This paper aims to help researchers, especially those new to the field of phenology, understand challenges and practices that are crucial for effective studies. For example, researchers may fail to account for sampling biases in phenological data, struggle to choose or design a volunteer data collection strategy that adequately fits their project’s needs, or combine data sets in inappropriate ways. We describe ten best practices for designing studies of plant and animal phenology, evaluating data quality, and analyzing data. Practices include accounting for common biases in data, using effective citizen or community science methods, and employing appropriate data when investigating phenological mismatches. We present these best practices to help researchers entering the field take full advantage of the wealth of available data and approaches to advance our understanding of phenology and its implications for ecology.

International Journal of Biometeorology↗