Relationship between Phenological Stages and Cumulative Air Temperature in Spring Time at Namsan

Abstract

To certify predictability for the times of phenological stages from cumulative air temperature in springtime, the first times of budding, leafing, flower budding, flowering and deflowering for 14 woody plants were monitored and air temperature was measured from 2005 to 2006 at Namsan. Year day index (YDI) and Nuttonson's Index (Tn) were calculated from daily mean air temperature. Of the 14 woody species, mean coefficient of variation was 0.04 in Robinia pseudo-acacia and 0.09 in Alnus hirsuta. However, mean coefficient of variation was 0.30 in Forsythia koreana and Stephanandra incisa and 0.32 in Zanthoxylum schinifolium. Therefore, the times of each phenological stage could be predicted in the former two species but not in latter three species by two indices. Of the five phenological stages, mean coefficient of variation was the smallest at deflowering time and the largest at budding time. In five phenological stages, mean coefficient of variation of YDI was in the range of <TEX>$0.11{\sim}0.21$</TEX> but that of Tn was in the range of <TEX>$0.15{\sim}0.26$</TEX>. Therefore, the former was a better index than the latter. Of the species-phenological stage pair, coefficient of variation of YDI was 0.01 in Acer pseudo-sieboldianum - flower budding and below 0.05 in 11 pairs, whereas the YDIs over 0.40 were 4 pairs comprising of Prunus leveilleana - budding (0.51). Coefficient of variation of Tn was 0.01 in A. hirsuta - budding and below 0.05 in 8 pairs. The Tns over 0.40 were 5 pairs comprising of F. koreana - flower budding (0.66).