The International Phenology Garden site at Alice Holt

 

Background and rationale

The International Phenology Garden (IPG) Network was established in 1957, with the intention of obtaining comparable phenological data across Europe with no genetic influence. Cloned specimens of trees and shrubs were planted at all sites. In order to provide all gardens with cloned plants a parent-garden was established at Ahrensberg in Germany, which was responsible for vegetative plant reproduction and the dispatch of plants. Phenology gardens were co-located with weather stations affiliated to national meteorological networks.

Since its inception, the rationale of the network has changed, and it is now primarily focussed on the possible impacts of climate changes on forest ecosystems, with specific objectives of:

• Monitoring of environmental change
• Climate impact studies
• Development of phenological models
• Calibration of remotely sensed data
• Generation of phenological maps

The network currently comprises 49 gardens stretching from Finland in the north and Portugal in the south, to Ireland in the West and Macedonia in east. 

History of the Forestry Commission garden

The Forestry Commission operated an IPG site at Headley nursery between 1967 and 1981. Unfortunately, data collection was discontinued in 1981 and the garden was subsequently grubbed out.

However, there has been a revival of interest in the network for assessing the impact of climate change on tree and shrub growth. Consequently a garden was re-established at Alice Holt in 2004, and it is envisaged that this garden will be propagated to establish other gardens at Westonbirt and Bedgebury, where there are willing volunteers capable of carrying out the assessments.

An additional garden was established in the UK in 2004 at CEH Monkswood, Huntingdon.

Species and protocols

The garden has been established according to the IPG protocol, and the measurements commenced in spring 2005, also according to the standard IPG protocol. Phases recorded include leaf emergance, flowering, fruit production, autumn colour change and leaf-fall.

Species included in the garden at Alice Holt currently include the following:

• Picea abies (Early)
• Picea abies (Late)
• Betula pubescens
• Fagus sylvatica (ex Eire)
• Populus tremula
• Quercus robur (Wolfgang, Germany)
• Sorbus aucuparia
• Tilia cordata
• Ribes alpinum
• Salix aurita
• Salix acutifolia
• Salix smithiana
• Salix viminalis
• Sambucus nigra
• Corylus avellana
• Forsythia suspensa
• Syringa vulgaris