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Temperate deciduous forests by definition include a large proportion of woody species that shed their leaves each autumn and are completely leafless during winter months. Leaf senescence in deciduous trees is an active, complex process typically involving the physiological formation of an abscission layer causing the petiole to mechanically detach from the branch. However, several deciduous species retain all or some senesced leaves on branches through much of winter, a phenomenon called leaf marcescence. Marcescence has long fascinated botanists, including Pehr Kalm as early as 1749. Yet, surprisingly little research has been done to date. Here, we review and explore patterns and mechanisms of leaf marcescence in temperate forests, bringing together six nonmutually exclusive but separately proposed hypotheses: (1) Marcescence has no adaptive function but rather an evolutionary byproduct; (2) Marcescent leaves deter winter browsing herbivores; (3) Leaf retention through winter improves nutrient resorption during autumn senescence; (4) Prolonged leaf shedding into spring minimizes nutrient leaching and promotes decomposition; (5) Marcescent leaves protect overwintering buds from frost or desiccation; and (6) Marcescent canopies provide winter cover for animals (including insects, birds, bats), thereby affecting plant nutrient availability via excrement. No hypothesis has complete support and few tests of multiple hypotheses have been done. It is likely that any adaptive value of marcescence is species and context dependent. Despite increased interest in plant phenology and prevalence of this trait, much remains to be understood on the physiology, evolution, function, and ecological implications of leaf marcescence.

 

When scientists study plants, they often collect, preserve, and store parts of the plants in a big collection called an herbarium. These plant specimens serve as proof that a species was growing in a certain place at a certain time. Herbaria (“herbaria” is the plural of herbarium) are where scientists describe new plant species and study how different species are related. Herbaria also contain lots of information about where certain plant species grow, what type of habitats species like, and at what time of year plants bloom and make fruits. Finally, herbaria are powerful tools for helping us understand how plants are affected by disturbances like habitat destruction and climate change. For all of these reasons, herbaria allow us to better understand and protect plant species all over the world. To continue benefitting from herbaria, we need to keep collecting plants and make these collections accessible to the world.

 

Abstract Temperate understory plant species are at risk from climate change and anthropogenic threats that include increased deer herbivory, habitat loss, pollinator declines and mismatch, and nutrient pollution. Recent work suggests that spring ephemeral wildflowers may be at additional risk due to phenological mismatch with deciduous canopy trees. The study of this dynamic, commonly referred to as “phenological escape”, and its sensitivity to spring temperature is limited to eastern North America. Here, we use herbarium specimens to show that phenological sensitivity to spring temperature is remarkably conserved for understory wildflowers across North America, Europe, and Asia, but that canopy trees in North America are significantly more sensitive to spring temperature compared to in Asia and Europe. We predict that advancing tree phenology will lead to decreasing spring light windows in North America while spring light windows will be maintained or even increase in Asia and Europe in response to projected climate warming.