Life Sciences Commons^™

The Impacts Of Global Warming On Appalachian Wildflower Phenologies, Rachel D. Wigginton

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Public and private interest in global warming has prompted exploration of the impacts this phenomenon may impart on ecosystem functions. Flowering phenology has been one of the areas many scientists believe is particularly susceptible to the impacts of anthropogenic warming. Over three weekends in spring of 2008, the vernal herb community was surveyed at five sites within the Great Smoky Mountains regions of the southern Appalachian Mountains. The intent was to capture the naturally occurring elevational gradient and determine if the temperature cue for blooming was the same for all co-flowering species in the study. This information would allow for …