@article{fdi:010055830,
  title = {{I}s water availability really the main environmental factor controlling the phenology of woody vegetation in the central {S}ahel ?},
  author = {{S}eghieri, {J}osiane and {C}arreau, {J}ulie and {B}oulain, {N}icolas and {D}e {R}osnay, {P}. and {A}rjounin, {M}arc and {T}imouk, {F}ranck},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{R}ainfall distribution and the soil moisture regime have been recognized to be the key drivers of the phenological rhythms in {S}ahelian woody plants, although different climate triggers have been assumed to be involved in determining the date of the onset of the phenophase. {H}owever, almost no comparisons have been made of the actual relative predictive power of these environmental factors. {T}he aim of our study was to quantify the ability of several factors to predict phenophase occurrence in the dominant woody populations of northern {M}ali. {C}anopy leafing, flowering and fruiting were monitored from {M}ay 2005 to {J}uly 2007. {M}ultiple logistic regressions were used to test the predictive power of cumulative rainfall, soil moisture, air temperature, air humidity and day length, with time lags of up to 2 months. {A}rtificial variables derived from time lags observed in phenophases were included as predictors to account for possible auto-correlation and cross-correlation among phenophases. {S}urprisingly, a decrease in temperature associated with different time lags was most often found to be the strongest predictor of both leafing and reproductive phenophases. {I}n {S}ahelian shrubs, morphological and physiological adaptations strongly contribute to the relative independence of their activity from water availability, leaf phenology being a way to adjust the plant water balance to current water availability and atmospheric water content. {T}his study provides insight towards the development of a mechanistic understanding of phenological control in the {S}ahel, which is becoming increasingly important in the context of expected climate changes.},
  keywords = {{A}daptation ; {A}ridity ; {E}nvironmental effect ; {L}ife cycle ; {L}ogistic model ; {W}est {A}frica},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}lant {E}cology},
  volume = {213},
  numero = {5},
  pages = {861--870},
  ISSN = {1385-0237},
  year = {2012},
  DOI = {10.1007/s11258-012-0048-y},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010055830},
}