The Impact of Climate Change on Tree Phenology for Forest Restoration in Northern Thailand

ABSTRACT: Climate change causes changes in abiotic factors such as temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity, which may result in forest trees adapting their  growth patterns to the changed conditions. This study of tree phenology aimed to determine if such changes are occurring. The phenology of nine evergreen forest tree species in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park was recorded monthly from March 2019 to February 2020 and the data were compared with historical phenology data from a similar study in the same place from 1995 to 1998. Changes in reproductive phenology of five tree species were observed: Baccaurea ramiflora Lour., Bischofia javanica Blume, Cleidion spiciflorum (Burm.f.) Merr., Michelia baillonii (Pierre) Finet & Gagnep and Morus macroura Miq. The changes were associated with changes in average temperature (°C) and relative humidity (%) between the two time periods (P<0.05, paired t-tests).