Species-specific shifts in phenology (timing of periodic life cycle events) are occurring with climate change and are already disrupting interactions within and among trophic levels. Phenological phase duration (e.g. beginning to end of flowering) and complementarity (patterns of nonoverlap), and their responses to changing conditions, will be important determinants of species' adaptive capacity to these shifts. Evidence indicates that extension of phenological duration of mutualistic partners could buffer negative impacts that occur with phenological shifts. Therefore, we suggest that techniques to extend the length of phenological duration will contribute to management of systems experiencing phenological asynchrony. Techniques of phenological phase extension discussed include the role of abiotic heterogeneity, genetic and species diversity, and alteration of population timing. We explore these approaches with the goal of creating a framework to build adaptive capacity and address phenological asynchrony in plant-animal mutualisms under climate change.

Flowering time is shifting with climate change. Pollinators may respond differently to changes in temperature and moisture than the flowers they visit, resulting in a timing mismatch between species. In this study, we evaluate the timing of a perennial plant and its main pollinator, a solitary ground-nesting bee. The timing of the bee was recorded at the nesting sites, independent of flowering. We find that the timing for both species is strongly associated with temperature, but that the bee’s nesting time may shift faster with climate change, revealing the potential for a timing mismatch in these species.

No abstract