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Drought hinders the advance of spring phenology through ecosystem memory effects

Analysis of satellite observations and in situ phenology records revealed a delayed onset of spring after drought in northern ecosystems. These delays are regulated by both endogenous memory within plants and exogenous memory of the environment, with the latter having a dominant role.

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Fig. 1: The legacy effects of droughts on spring green-up in the following year.

References

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This is a summary of: Liu, Y. et al. Drought legacies delay spring green-up in northern ecosystems. Nat. Clim. Change https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02273-6 (2025).

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Drought hinders the advance of spring phenology through ecosystem memory effects. Nat. Clim. Chang. 15, 362–363 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02274-5

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