![](3D"PhenologyAtooltomonitorClimateChange_files/image001.gif")
Phenology – A Tool to Moni=
tor
Climate Change: A Need in Sikkim Himalaya
Hemant K. Badola, G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development,
Sikkim Unit, Gangtok,
The existing
biodiversity and high use pressure on them often appear as a global debate.=
In
present context, especially for the mountains, sustainability of resource
availability not only depends upon the use pressure but also on the
unprecedented climate changes, especially global warming. The mountains, for
their greater verticality, provide short distance changes in temperature,
moisture regime and sun-light exposure, directly influencing the type and
dynamics of biodiversity and habitats. The resilience in biota and ecosyste=
ms
to sustain adversities, within a wide range of eco-physiological regime, ca=
used
due to climatic change has a limiting point. Any flux in temperature beyond opt=
imum
requirement can disrupt the existing delicate web of ecosystem, resulting to
aberration in adaptive dynamics of the species. However, the significant
changes in global climate have now exerted a definite pressure on the same;=
the
resilience has started showing breaking the thin line between existence and
extinction, as natural ecosystems do not always offer immediate recoveries.=
The
forests, as the carbon sink, have shown fragmentation worldwide; the abrupt
variability in rainfall, loss of biodiversity and soil water storage, shift=
ing
in biological calendar of the plants and shrinking glaciers are some of vis=
ible
indicators of climate change and desertification. In Himalayan viewpoint, t=
he
losses resulting from global warming could be multifold; and Sikkim being o=
ne
of the smallest states in India (7096 Km2 area), representing very rich biodiversity components
within a short vertical distance is expected to be highly vulnerable,
especially for its uniqueness, rich species diversity per unit area basis a=
nd
high endemism, as per existing researches.
The impacts of global warming on physical and
biological systems can earlier be examined identifying appropriate indicato=
rs
and using suitable scientific tools. The high sounded and quite visibly ado=
pted
indicators have been the glaciers for their unprecedented vulnerability tow=
ards
global warming in recent years. However, biological diversity at terrestrial
level depicts several apparent and pragmatic drifts and alteration owing to
global warming. Amongst them, the earlier commencement of spring events in
species and prolonged growing period in vegetation, resulting to alternatio=
n in
plant life cycle and changing pattern in productivity. These alternations in
seasonal cycle of species cause their rising vulnerability towards diseases=
and
pest, etc; several high altitude medicinal herbs are found sensitive to high
temperature. Often unnoticed events, such as altering adaptability and shifting
biological rhythms in wild animals and plants, etc. are some of the example=
s of
quiet processes. A wide range of organisms may be used detecting phenologic=
al
changes as a response to global warming.&n=
bsp;
Amongst top indicators of climate change, butterflies are highly pop=
ular
groups, basically for their greater sensitivity towards minor temperature
fluxes, and then for being the subject of long term monitoring programme in
many countries. Such an altered adaptability in species caused due to global
warming exerts adverse pressures on their existence particularly in case of
endemic, rare and endangered biota and sensitive habitats. As a consequence=
the
change in geographical distribution of species may be used in forecasting
global warming, especially those growing in high altitudes of
Understanding and recording of the timing of
seasonal biological events, referred as phenology, include bud flushing and
flowering dates and also faunal migration, can chronologically predict the
on-going changes using their date wise records, is one of the ideal indicat=
ors
of climate change, which has been gaining tremendous impetus in recent year=
s,
worldwide. The plant phenology, especially in buds, is a cheaper and conven=
ient
but a very potential tool to handle, fundamentally determined by species
genetics and environmental factors, and to monitor climate change. Climatic changes corresponding with
rising pattern in temperature, either at location specific or extensively
across political boundaries can be observed by using a single taxa or a gro=
up
of taxa. Any smallest amount of change in global warming
may possibly be detected by recording periodical phenological events. By
setting up of phenological gardens, scientists in many countries have been
monitoring global warming for several decades. Huge amount of phenological
network data are in place to simulate past and future trends in climate cha=
nge.
For example, a paper published in an international journal, Global Change
Biology by Menzel and colleague in 2006, made enormous interpretation of
phenological data sets from 21 European countries (1971 to 2000), revealed =
an
average advancement of 2.5 day/decade of spring/summer in
The Himalayan plant species, including those f=
rom
Sikkim can be effectively used to monitor climate change and global warming=
, as
potential tool. Amongst many, the Rhododendron arboreum (Gurans), wi=
dely
distributed in Indian Himalayan belt and neighbouring countries, for its
extended altitudinal distribution (sub-tropical to alpine) and very sensiti=
ve
meristematic cells inside buds towards slight change in weather conditions,
especially towards spring flushing and flowering, offers it as ideal taxa f=
or
monitoring climate change on long term basis by establishing phenological
stations at various altitudes along the same transect, as per author’s
long years’ research experience in Himalaya. Similarly, R. grande<=
/i>,
very sensitive alpine herb of
In Himalaya, including Sikkim, the phenology,
especially the buds as indictors of climate change have never been taken as=
a
priority, as adopted in Europe in recent years; in spite of having immense
potential of using bud phenology, this science is yet to receive adequate
attention by the scientists, area managers and policy makers. In conclusion, the spring phenological signals, especially in buds =
need
to be taken sensibly to monitor global warming as highly appropriate indict=
or
of climate change. In
![3D"Ra-Flow-bud-2](3D"PhenologyAtooltomonitorClimateChange_files/image003.jpg")
Half blossomed bud of Rhododend=
ron
arboreum (Photo: H.K. Badola)
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