Leaf phenology as an indicator of ecological integrity

Climate change leads to an increased frequency of severe weather events as well stressful growing conditions. Together these changes may impact the resilience ecosystems. To keep track such effects, conservation managers monitor “ecological integrity” or coherence ecosystem processes, cycling carbon and water. Networked phenocams can produce near-continuous observations leaf function in context climate change, capturing declines due disturbance stress. Here we explore application detect responses stress using 14 examples from PhenoCam Network. We selected previously published new include a variety disturbances form hurricanes, windstorm, frost, insect defoliation, drought. Frost herbivory led both reductions extensions duration rising section greenness curve, while hurricanes generally plateau entire leaf-on period. found that at least ±20% seasonal following peak, ±10% period were reliable signal functional If become increasingly frequent consequence this could ecological integrity through interruptions processes. Comparing periods given year average for other years with thresholds resulted true detection rates 86% false-positive 11% when sampling probability density functions 344 broadleaf needleleaf site-years. show are powerful monitoring tools, which be efficiently applied quantify dynamic