Phenological patterns of flowering across biogeographical regions of Europe

Long-term changes of plant phenological phases determined by complex interactions of environmental factors are in the focus of recent climate impact research. There is a lack of studies on the comparison of biogeographical regions in Europe in terms of plant responses to climate. We examined the flowering phenology of plant species to identify the spatio-temporal patterns in their responses to environmental variables over the period 1970–2010. Data were collected from 12 countries along a 3000-km-long, North–South transect from northern to eastern Central Europe.