in short

I am the acting coordinator of the Swedish National Phenology Network (hosted by the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences) and researcher at Lund University (hosted by Niclas Jonzén).

SWE-NPN  is aiming at a nation-wide phenology database to provide phenology data to a wide range of users (climate modelling; satellite image analysis; allergogenic pollen modelling; population and ecosystem dynamics; etc.). For this SWE-NPN develops historical phenology databases and web applications for phenology reporting, organizes phenology monitoring networks and participates in international collaborations. Here is an example of flowering time variation in Tussilago farfara (Asteraceae) during the last 73 years.

My own research evolves in the intersection between plant phenology, life history evolution, climate change, dispersal ecology, and phylogenetic comparative methods. In different projects, I am collaborating with Niclas Jonzén, Jon Ågren, Kathleen Kay, Torsten Eriksson, Birgitta Bremer, Ryan Stewart, Didrik Vanhoenacker, Abe Miller-Rushing, and Ove Eriksson, and participate in the NCEAS working group on phenology, phylogeny, and climate headed by Benjamin Cook and Elizabeth Wolkovich.
 
     We study phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns of flowering time, and phylogenetic signal in Climate Change responses in flowering time using angiosperm-wide sampling. Using the genus Clarkia, we are developing a more focused study of phenology evolution in collaboration. Other ongoing studies concern diversity and disparity in the coffee family (Rubiaceae), fleshy fruit evolution in angiosperms, and Geranium and Rhamnus/Frangula phylogenetics.
 
Phenology observations (flowering time, spring arrival of migrant birds, etc.) have generated some of the best biological indicators of climate change (Parmesan 2006), but differential response to changing conditions between organisms may be a key issue in our understanding of present-day biogeographic patterns and to predict ecosystem change.
    Despite the tremendous amount of existing sources of phenological data, phenology has been largely overlooked in general plant strategy and life history schemes. Comparative studies of phenology would therefore be an important contribution to our understanding of plant ecology and evolution (Molau et al. 2005); how does phenology vary between different plant types, different phylogenetic lineages, vegetation types and along geographical transects?


Kjell Bolmgren
PhD
  
E-mail:
kjell.bolmgren/at/esf.slu.se
 
 
Postal and Visiting Address:
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
c/o Department of Botany
Stockholm University
SE-106 91 Stockholm
 SWEDEN
 
 
Telephone:
(INT + 46)-730-670365
(INT + 46)-8-164899