The Entangled Phenology of the Olive Tree: A Compiled Ecological Calendar ofOlea EuropaeaL. Over the Last Three Millennia With Sicily as a Case Study

Abstract

Phenology is the study of the timing of recurring biological events (Lieth, 1974). By looking at seasonal life cycles in plants and animals (Bastian & Bayliss Hawitt, 2022), phenology studies the complex temporal interactions of living beings with each other, and with the temporalities of other surrounding environmental elements (such as, for instance, temperature, light, etc.). Phenology tries to understand how the many and different forms of ecological timing of an organism or populations interact and intersect with the timing of particular components of their environment (Forrest & Miller-Rushing, 2010), making shared life in an ecosystem possible. Phenology spans over a range of analytical approaches at different spatial scales, from macro level (landscape) to meso (ecological communities) and individual level (stands), including statistical methods, interpretation of long-term phenological data, modeling and physiological analysis, with many different forms of data collection (e.g., using remote sensing with satellites and/or phenocams, analysis of time-series photos). An important focus in phenological studies is recording dates of typical conventional phenophases, such as flowering or bud burst in plants, conducted via long-term observations (Bastian & Bayliss Hawitt, 2022).Humans, to plan what to do next, have always used phenological indicators. Phenological times of plant and animals are connected with the local environmental context, and key timings of human activities, such as the best time for harvest, planting, or pruning for instance are always decided taking into consideration such aspects

Traditional Olive Tree Varieties in Alto Aragón (NE Spain): Molecular Characterization, Single-Varietal Oils, and Monumental Trees

“…The valorization of monumental olive trees is taking place throughout the Mediterranean basin, as highlighted by previous studies conducted in Albania [60], Cyprus [61], Lebanon [62,63], Portugal [64], Italy [65][66][67][68][69][70][71], Israel [72], Montenegro [73], Crete [74], Malta [75,76], and Spain [77].…”

Rhythms of the Earth—Editorial Introduction

“…The evolution of ecological calendars and the entangled nature of human and ecological systems are illustrated through the history of olive cultivation in Sicily. Drawing on written historical sources, oral histories, and contemporary interviews, Ferrara and Ingemark ( 2023 ) compile and share a monthly ecological calendar of the olive tree on the island of Sicily over the last 2,800 years. In “The entangled phenology of the olive tree: A compiled ecological calendar of Olea europaea L. over the last three millennia with Sicily” as a case study they offer a compelling example of the interplay between plant behavior and human adaptation by exploring spatial and temporal variations in the timing of key cultivation activities like pruning, grafting, harvesting, and transplanting.…”

“…It is important to keep in mind that archeological (Tally‐Schumacher, 2023 ), ethnographic (Kassam et al., 2011 ), and biocultural evidence (Ferrara & Ingemark, 2023 ; Kassam et al., 2022 ; Rozzi et al., 2023 ) shows that ecological calendars have been in use for hundreds of years if not millennia by human societies. Clearly, there has been climatic and environmental change throughout this period.…”