Monday, August 8, 2022

Phenology

Success and failures are like two sides of the same coin. The fact that we are here shows that our ancestors who lived on this earth which already passed the age of 4.54 billion years mean the early homo sapiens managed to survive the harsh conditions they were in and their success to survive means we are their symbol of being successful in surviving to stay alive on this planet. 

How do they manage to survive? They thrive because of their deep understanding of phenology. What is phenology? Phenology is the study of plant and animal life cycle events, which are triggered by environmental changes, especially temperature. Wide ranges of phenomena are included, from the first openings of leaf and flower buds to insect hatchings and the return of birds. Each one gives a ready measure of the environment as viewed by the associated organism. 

Thus, phenological events are ideal indicators of the impact of local and global changes in weather and climate on the earth's biosphere. Assessing our changing world is a complex task that requires close cooperation from experts in biology, climatology, ecology, geography, oceanography, remote sensing, and other areas. Phenology (Greek phainesthai=to appear, logos=knowledge, teaching) is the study of natural phenomena that recur periodically in plants and animals and of the relationship of these phenomena to climate and changes in season. 

In other words, it is the study of the annual sequence of plant development. Its aim is to describe the causes of variation in the timing of developmental events by seeking correlations between weather indices and the dates of particular growth events and the intervals between them. Phenology investigates a plant’s reaction to the environment and attempts to predict its behavior in new environments. In viticulture, phenology is mainly concerned with the timing of specific stages of growth and development in the annual cycle. Our ancestors understood phenology perfectly without having to consult any expert only from meticulous observation and the close relationship they had with nature.