Work

Phenology–trait relationships across different scales and organizational levels

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This Special Focus examines how linking functional traits with phenology improves our understanding of how organisms respond to environmental change. It synthesizes studies across global gradients, field observations, experiments and conceptual work, showing that phenology–trait relationships are strongly scale‐ and context‐dependent. These relationships are shaped by understudied trait dimensions, such as genome size, below‐ground storage organs, internal carbon dynamics, winter activity and early life stages. Collectively, the studies highlight the importance of integrating observational networks, experiments and models to capture the dynamic coupling between traits, phenology and environmental change. The collection calls for research that links phenology and traits in taxonomic groups beyond vascular plants, explicitly considers biotic interactions and assesses the direct implications of phenological change for ecosystem functioning. Such approaches are still rare but essential for fully integrating the processes that drive ecosystem functions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Source: Functional Ecology

DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.70324

Authors: Christine Römermann, Solveig Franziska Bucher, Isabell Hensen, Sabrina Träger, Robert Rauschkolb

Institutions: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function Jena, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Language: English

Topic: Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,000

Funder: Deutsches Zentrum für integrative Biodiversitätsforschung Halle-Jena-Leipzig