The climate change indicators defined to monitor the Pyrenean forests are related to the phenology of the different plant species.
Phenology is the science that studies the relationship between the occurrence of periodic events in living beings and seasonal variations in climate. Plants are mainly analyzed, but also animals, mushrooms… The phenological monitoring of plants includes the observation of some important manifestations: flowering, foliation, senescence (leaf fall)…
Currently, information is available on the sprouting period (that is, when trees develop their buds and, later, leaves) of several plant species in different parcels distributed throughout the Pyrenees. The evolution over recent years of the sprouting date of four species is shown below: sessile oak (Quercus petraea), common beech (Fagus sylvatica), black pine (Pinus uncinata) and common fir (Abies alba).
