8. Forest Phenology as an Indicator of Climate Change: Impact and Mitigation Strategies in India

Forests are an integral part of the terrestrial ecosystem, maintaining the biodiversity, carbon flux, and ecosystem services and even supporting livelihoods. Rampant exploitation of forest resources has resulted in deforestation and the loss of associated benefits. It is estimated that deforestation accounts for 11% of global carbon emissions. Their role in carbon sequestration has helped international bodies to create programmes such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). The phenomena of climate change adversely affect the functioning of forest species: it changes the timing of their flowering and fruiting habits, and brings about changes in the ecophysiology of the species. However, such changes depend on the species and the climatic conditions to a large extent. Phenology, the temporal order of the annual cycle of plant functions, is quite sensitive to the changes in climate. In this chapter we have explored the relationships between climate change and its impact on tree phenology, and mitigation and adaptation strategies. Some species may tend to exhibit a certain amount of resilience against climate change.