Climate-Driven Early Flowering in Rhododendron arboreum: Field Observations Across Altitudes in Bageshwar, Uttarakhand

Climate-Driven Early Flowering in Rhododendron arboreum: Field Observations Across Altitudes in Bageshwar, Uttarakhand | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Climate-Driven Early Flowering in Rhododendron arboreum: Field Observations Across Altitudes in Bageshwar, Uttarakhand Seema, Vijay Arya, Balwant Kumar This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6657153/v2 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Abstract This study investigates the climate-driven shifts in the flowering phenology of Rhododendron arboreum in Bageshwar district, Uttarakhand. The study documents significant early blooming events in both mature and young Rhododendron individuals by combining secondary data analysis with primary field observations conducted across different altitudes during January–February 2024. The findings reveal that rising temperatures and reduced winter precipitation are likely influencing earlier flowering, especially in mid- to high-altitude zones. These observations support existing literature while emphasizing the need for localized monitoring of phenological responses to climate change. The study contributes visual and altitudinal evidence to an under-explored ecological issue with implications for biodiversity, pollination, and conservation planning. Future research should incorporate field-based observations, genetic adaptations, and additional environmental parameters to develop a comprehensive understanding of Rhododendron phenology in the Himalayas. These insights are crucial for informing conservation strategies and mitigating climate change impacts on the fragile mountain ecosystem. Climatology Conservation Biology Climate Change Rhododendron Phenology Early Flowering Himalayan Biodiversity Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare potential competing interests as follows: I hereby declare that I have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this study Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 2 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Show more versions Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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