Plant phenology
Trends in dates of leaf unfolding and flowering have traditionally been used to demonstrate the impact of increasing spring temperatures on plant phenology. Our research will examine environmental triggers of budburst for use in predictive models under future climate scenarios. We will also study gene expression in budburst and the use of remotely sensed data to determine growing season length. In addition, we intend to set up a phenological network across Ireland using both native and non-native species.