Chapter 8
Forest Phenology as an Indicator of Climate
Change: Impact and Mitigation Strategies
in India
Priyanshi Tiwari, Pramit Verma, and A. S. Raghubanshi
Abstract Forests are an integral part of the terrestrial ecosystem, maintaining the
biodiversity, carbon flux, and ecosystem services and even supporting livelihoods.
Rampant exploitation of forest resources has resulted in deforestation and the loss of
associated benefits. It is estimated that deforestation accounts for 11% of global
carbon emissions. Their role in carbon sequestration has helped international bodies
to create programmes such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest
degradation (REDD+). The phenomena of climate change adversely affect the functioning of forest species: it changes the timing of their flowering and fruiting habits,
and brings about changes in the ecophysiology of the species. However, such changes
depend on the species and the climatic conditions to a large extent. Phenology, the
temporal order of the annual cycle of plant functions, is quite sensitive to the changes
in climate. In this chapter we have explored the relationships between climate change
and its impact on tree phenology, and mitigation and adaptation strategies. Some
species may tend to exhibit a certain amount of resilience against climate change.
Keywords Forest phenology · Climate change · Global carbon emission ·
Adaptation strategies in India
Introduction
Climate change is impacting forest health and the distribution of many species across
the globe. The effect of this change is felt more by the poor who constitute about
70% of the rural populations and depend directly on forest resources for their
P. Tiwari
Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
P. Verma · A. S. Raghubanshi (*)
Integrative Ecology Laboratory (IEL), Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development
(IESD), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. N. Islam, A. van Amstel (eds.), India: Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation
and Adaptation in Developing Countries, Springer Climate,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67865-4_8
185
Forest Phenology as an Indicator of Climate
Change: Impact and Mitigation Strategies
in India
Priyanshi Tiwari, Pramit Verma, and A. S. Raghubanshi
Abstract Forests are an integral part of the terrestrial ecosystem, maintaining the
biodiversity, carbon flux, and ecosystem services and even supporting livelihoods.
Rampant exploitation of forest resources has resulted in deforestation and the loss of
associated benefits. It is estimated that deforestation accounts for 11% of global
carbon emissions. Their role in carbon sequestration has helped international bodies
to create programmes such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest
degradation (REDD+). The phenomena of climate change adversely affect the functioning of forest species: it changes the timing of their flowering and fruiting habits,
and brings about changes in the ecophysiology of the species. However, such changes
depend on the species and the climatic conditions to a large extent. Phenology, the
temporal order of the annual cycle of plant functions, is quite sensitive to the changes
in climate. In this chapter we have explored the relationships between climate change
and its impact on tree phenology, and mitigation and adaptation strategies. Some
species may tend to exhibit a certain amount of resilience against climate change.
Keywords Forest phenology · Climate change · Global carbon emission ·
Adaptation strategies in India
Introduction
Climate change is impacting forest health and the distribution of many species across
the globe. The effect of this change is felt more by the poor who constitute about
70% of the rural populations and depend directly on forest resources for their
P. Tiwari
Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
P. Verma · A. S. Raghubanshi (*)
Integrative Ecology Laboratory (IEL), Institute of Environment & Sustainable Development
(IESD), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. N. Islam, A. van Amstel (eds.), India: Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation
and Adaptation in Developing Countries, Springer Climate,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67865-4_8
185