Phenological Patterns of Terrestrial Plants

The term phenology is derived from the Greek word phaino meaning to show or to appear. Hence, phenology is defined as the study of the seasonal timing of life cycle events. For plants the seasonal timing of such events can be critical to survival and reproduction. In agriculture the most common failure of introduced crops is the inability to adjust to the seasons imposed by the new, environment (68). In the past few years, interest in the ecology and evolution of timing of life cycle events has grown. Here we review the literature on phenological patterns of germination, flowering, and fruiting (including dispersal).