PARENT SESSION
Symposium 9: Structural Equations, Path Analysis, and Other Causal Models
Organized by: S Scheiner
Tuesday, August 5. 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM, SITCC Chatham Ballroom C.

Phenological responses to changing climate in arctic plant communities.

Walker, Marilyn^{*,1, 2}, Carroll, Amy^{1, 3}, Wahren, Carl¹, Borner, Andrew^{1, 3}, ¹ Boreal Ecology Cooperative Research Unit, Fairbanks, AK² USDA Forest Service PNW Station, Fairbanks, AK³ Dept. of Biology and Wildflie, Fairbanks, AK

ABSTRACT- Phenology is a critical process in arctic plants adapted to short growing seasons. Most arctic species are highly sensitive to timing of snowmelt in particular, and changes in timing of events in plant species may be of extreme importance to certain animals. We have been collecting data on the phenology and growth of arctic plant species under conditions of experimental manipulated winter snow cover and summer temperature for 8 continuous years. We use path analysis to examine a system of closely-related variables and to look at the sensitivity of species to this environmental change.

Key words: arctic plants, phenology, path analysis, global change