Conclusions - African Tamrisk Observation @ Xrobb l-Għaġin Park - News and Discussion - European Phenology Campaign

Hello GLOBERS.

Here at Xrobb l-Għaġin Nature Park in Malta it was suspected that budburst had already occurred before the beginning of the greening up campaign. 

Indeed, during the campaign:

1. The marked buds stayed dormant ... probably all budburst of the tree had occurred by the start of the campaign as was suspected at the start.
(Last picture of the buds taken 27th April 2021)

2. The tree never had bare branches ... the green leaves present since the start of the campaign, were confirmed as fresh ones because they did not dry up and fall.
(Picture of branches with dry and fresh leaves, and flowers, at the start of the campaign)

The smallest 3 leaves on the same branch were followed from the middle of the campaign onwards, while keeping an eye on the marked dormant buds. By end May theses leaves stopped growing longer. They continued to grow sideways only.
 

The same phenomenon (early greening up while still shedding leaves) had been suspected last year but no greening up measurements were taken then. 

The greening up observations this year do indicate that budburst might be happening earlier as years go by. 

Concurrently, weather observations during other online sessions with school students, showed a markedly hotter February than usual, indicating that this could have triggered the early greening up.

Therefore Xrobb l-Għaġin Park is now gearing up to start the observations as early as January next year to record the exact budburst date!