The circular nature of recurrent life cycle events: a test comparing tropical and temperate phenology

Autor(es)

Staggemeier, Vanessa Graziele ^{[1, 2]} ; Gutierrez Camargo, Maria Gabriela ^[1] ; Felizola Diniz-Filho, Jose Alexandre ^[3] ; Freckleton, Robert ^[4] ; Jardim, Lucas ^[3] ; Cerdeira Morellato, Leonor Patricia ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista UNESP, Grp Fenol Dispersao Sementes, Inst Biociencias, Dept Bot, Rio Claro - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Rio Grande do Norte, Dept Ecol, Ctr Biociencias, BR-59078970 Natal, RN - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Goias, Dept Ecol, Lab Ecol Teor & Sintese, Goiania, Go - Brazil

^[4] Univ Sheffield, Dept Anim & Plant Sci, Sheffield, S Yorkshire - England

• Tipo de documento: Artigo de Revisão
• Fonte: JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY; v. 108, n. 2, p. 393-404, MAR 2020.
• Citações Web of Science: 4

Resumo

1. The high diversity of plant species in the tropics has revealed complex phenological patterns and reproductive strategies occurring throughout the year. Describing and analysing tropical plant phenology, and detecting triggers, demands to consider the circular nature of recurrent life cycle events and the use of appropriated statistical metrics. 2. Here, we explore analytical pitfalls potentially affecting results of studies that do not consider the circular nature of phenology data when comparing resting and non-resting systems, especially when accounting for phylogeny. We discuss definitions of the widely used first flowering date and revisit the literature on phylogenetic signal in plant phenology. We compare statistical analyses for tropical and temperate phenology by simulating communities with known phenological and phylogenetic structures. 3. We demonstrate that ignoring the circular nature of phenological data underestimates the phylogenetic signal in plant phenology. Using the proposed circular transformation for non-resting tropical ecosystems and resting temperate systems prevented errors, yielding precise comparisons. 4. Synthesis. The analysis of both non-resting and resting systems must consider the circularity of phenological events. Circular statistics is the appropriate approach to calculate phenological parameters, identify phylogenetic signal and assess drivers, allowing accurate cross-comparisons of phenology across environments at large spatial scales. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 16/02312-8 - Combinando a distribuição das plantas e sua fenologia para predizer os potenciais efeitos das mudanças climáticas nos trópicos
• Beneficiário: Vanessa Graziele Staggemeier
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 14/13899-4 - Fenologia e filogenias como ferramentas para o entendimento dos efeitos das mudanças climáticas nos trópicos
• Beneficiário: Vanessa Graziele Staggemeier
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 15/10754-8 - Variação espácio-temporal no espectro de cores de flores conforme a visão dos polinizadores
• Beneficiário: Maria Gabriela Gutierrez de Camargo
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 18/14118-7 - Phenology 2018 Conference
• Beneficiário: Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Reunião - Exterior
• Processo FAPESP: 13/50155-0 - Combining new technologies to monitor phenology from leaves to ecosystems
• Beneficiário: Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa de Pesquisa sobre Mudanças Climáticas Globais - PITE