Speaker
Description
Herbarium collections provide a unique long-term archive for assessing plant responses to environmental change across broad spatial and temporal scales. We use approximately 4,000 herbarium specimens collected mainly between 1960 and 2025 across the entire territory of Mongolia to investigate long-term shifts in plant phenology in typical steppe ecosystems. The dataset includes 16 focal species representing the major plant families characteristic of Mongolian steppes.
For each specimen, phenological stage was recorded quantitatively, including vegetative stage, buds, flowering, fruiting, and end of fruiting, allowing species-specific estimates of flowering onset, end, and duration over the past six decades. In addition, nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon concentrations were measured non-invasively using near-infrared spectroscopy on the same specimens, enabling direct links between phenological dynamics and leaf nutrient contents.
Using species-specific spatio-temporal models, we analyse shifts in flowering phenology over time and across space and relate these patterns to historical climate variables and leaf nutrient content. By integrating collection date, geographic origin, and climate data, we aim to disentangle temporal trends from spatial gradients and identify region- and species-specific responses.
Based on previous studies, we expect flowering onset to be primarily driven by pre-flowering precipitation, while warming tends to amplify drought stress and precipitation sensitivity rather than act as the primary cue on flowering timing. We further expect nutrient status to be associated with phenological timing and reproductive development, with responses likely differing among species. Overall, this study highlights the potential of herbarium collections for reconstructing long-term ecological change and provides new insights into the climate sensitivity of Mongolian steppe vegetation.
| Status Group | Doctoral Researcher |
|---|