M.P. Nasja, I.P. Abdul Razak and K.U.M.A. Rafeeq
Abstract
Phenological studies are one of the measuring tools for understanding the impact of climate change in the biological world. In this preliminary study, we investigated the leaf and figphenology of the monoecious fig plant, Ficus racemosa to changes associated with uncommon rainfall patterns, humidity, and temperaturein the northern Kerala district, South India. Phenological observations were conducted on individual trees at weekly intervals from January 2021 to December 2023. The rainfall pattern affected syconium phenology as well as leaf phenology. While syconia at various developmental stages exhibited more synchrony than asynchrony on individual plants of sampled trees, fluctuations in abiotic factors led to occasional asynchrony observed in certain months. The uncommon rainfall pattern and humidity were negatively correlated with the production of syconia which in turn decreased the development of fig pollinators. Leaffalling was positively correlated with rainfall and humidity and negatively correlated with both minimum and maximum temperatures. Leaf flushing exhibited a negative correlation with all the climatic variables chosen in this study, whereas leaf maturation demonstrated a positive correlation with the same set of climatic variables. More work has to be done in this case but it made a pathway for more climate change-related phenological studies from this tropical region.