Submitted by Claudia Rocha (claudia.rocha@udesc.br) on 2017-12-15T11:30:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PGEF17MA083.pdf: 144689 bytes, checksum: 1f327422b1079ee396a3aa83bc9c1def (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-15T11:30:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PGEF17MA083.pdf: 144689 bytes, checksum: 1f327422b1079ee396a3aa83bc9c1def (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-27 / FUMDES / We aimed to verify the determinant ecological factors on natural regeneration dynamics in forest remnants in “Planalto Sul Catarinense” region. For this, two years after the first forest inventory, we reevaluated in permanent plots the tree regenerative communities of six fragments, located in Lages, Urubici and Capão Alto municipalities, regarding rates of recruitment, mortality, number of individuals net change, up and down height class net changes for all species. For each area, the following variables were obtained: altitude, climatic variables, luminic environment, adult tree component density and cattle presence. The association among dynamics rates, species abundance and explicative variables was evaluated through RLQ and fourth corner analysis. In the first and second inventories a total of 4,379 and 5,268 individuals were observed, that expressed a greater recruitment (20.9%.year-1) than mortality (13.2%.year-1). The RLQ ordination indicated that Urubici fragment stood out due to its high altitude, lower temperature of driest quarter, lower mean diurnal temperature range and cattle presence, with Capão Alto fragment presenting antagonic conditions. Other fragments situated in Lages showed no distinct conditions. The regenerative dynamics pattern observed in Urubici was characterized by individuals high growth in height, due to presence of light demanding and fast growing species, that are being favored by cattle existence. We conclude that, in regional scale, the natural regeneration of study fragments is undergoing a structuring process, presenting high spatial heterogeneity, where i) climate and altitude play relevant role on floristic identity definition and ii) chronic disturbance (cattle) influences species ecological definition / Objetivou-se conhecer os fatores ecológicos determinantes na dinâmica da regeneração natural arbórea em remanescentes florestais no Planalto Sul Catarinense. Para isso, as comunidades regenerantes de seis fragmentos, localizados nos municípios de Lages, Urubici e Capão Alto, previamente inventariados, foram reavaliadas em parcelas permanentes, dois anos após o primeiro inventário, e suas taxas demográficas calculadas: recrutamento, mortalidade, mudança líquida em número de indivíduos e mudança para classes superiores e inferiores de altura. Para cada fragmento, foram obtidas as variáveis: altitude, variáveis climáticas, ambiente lumínico, densidade do componente arbóreo e presença de gado. A associação entre as taxas de dinâmica, a abundância das espécies regenerantes e as variáveis explicativas foi verificada por meio da análise RLQ e “fourth corner”. Foram amostrados 4.379 indivíduos no primeiro inventário e 5.268 no segundo, com maior recrutamento (20,9%.ano-1) do que mortalidade (13,2%.ano-1). Na ordenação RLQ, o fragmento localizado em Urubici se destacou por apresentar maior altitude, menor temperatura no trimestre mais seco, menor amplitude da temperatura diária e maior presença de gado, e o fragmento de Capão Alto apresentou condições antagônicas. Os demais fragmentos, todos localizados em Lages, não apresentaram grandes distinções. O padrão de dinâmica do fragmento em Urubici se destacou pelo elevado crescimento em altura dos regenerantes, devido à presença de espécies existentes em luz e de rápido crescimento, que estão sendo favorecidas pela presença de gado. Conclui-se que a regeneração natural dos remanescentes florestais estudados se encontra em processo de estruturação, apresentando heterogeneidade espacial, onde i) o clima e a altitude desempenham papel relevante na definição da identidade florística e ii) perturbações crônicas (gado) influenciam na definição de estratégias ecológicas

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Desde a revolução industrial, o consumo de combustíveis fósseis pelo homem vem crescendo em ritmo acelerado. Com isso, aumentam também as concentrações dos chamados gases-estufa (CO2, CH4 e NxO). Isso gera alterações no clima, causando mudanças em fatores bióticos e abióticos, tanto em ambientes naturais quanto em ambientes urbanos. Algumas dessas mudanças são típicas de ambientes urbanos, como as Ilhas de Calor Urbanas e a Inversão Térmica, e devido ao fato de grande parte da população atual viver neste tipo de ambiente, acabam causando diversos problemas de saúde. É importante, portanto, conhecer como o clima destes ambientes tem se comportado nos últimos anos, e isso é possível através da análise dos anéis de crescimento de árvores urbanas. Além disso, os dados de crescimento podem ser utilizados para calibrar modelos de dinâmica florestal. Sendo assim, o presente trabalho pretende construir cronologias de anéis de crescimento de cedro (Cedrela fissilis L.) da cidade de São Paulo, e utilizá-las para reconstruir o clima do último século para essa cidade, além de usar estes dados de crescimento para a parametrização de novos elementos em um modelo de dinâmica florestal já existente. Para isso, utilzou-se 43 indivíduos coletados em 4 localidades da cidade de São Paulo, que foram colados em suporte, polidos, datados, fotografados e tiveram a largura dos anéis de crescimento medidas. Além disso, também tomou-se medidas de áreas de vaso para alguns anéis pré-determinados. As larguras dos anéis foram utilizadas para a construção de cronologias, que posteriormente foram usadas para a criação de modelos de reconstrução climática. Foi possível encontrar relações entre precipitação e temperatura e o crescimento das árvores para dois dos locais de coleta, sendo que para um deles foi possível reconstruir estas variáveis climáticas para determinados meses do ano. Com os dados de crescimento, foi possível parametrizar uma nova equação inserida no modelo de Falster et al., 2011, que insere o efeito de temperatura na parte do modelo relacionada à fotossíntese da espécie simulada. Após a inserção da nova equação, foi possível observar mudanças na periodicidade dos ciclos de recrutamento da floresta. / Since the Industrial Revolution, fossil fuel consumption by man has been rising steeply. This way the concentration of greenhouse-gases (CO2, CH4 and NxO) rise too. That causes the climate to change, generating alterations in biotic and abiotic factors both in natural and urban environments. Some of these changes are typical from urban environments such as Urban Heat Islands and Thermal Inversion, and since great part of human population live in this type of environment, health problems are common. Thus it is important to know how the climate have behaved in this environments in the past years, and this is possible by analyzing the tree rings from urban trees. Furthermore, growth data can be used to calibrate forest dynamic models. Therefore the present work aims to build tree-ring chronologies of cedro (Cedrela fissilis L.) from the city of São Paulo, and to use them to reconstruct climate for the last century in this city, in addition to use these growth data to parameterize new elements in an existent forest dynamic model. For this, 43 individuals were sampled in 4 different sites in São Paulo, which were glued in wood support, sanded, dated, photographed and had their growth rings measured. Furthermore vessel area was measured for some predetermined rings. The growth rings widths were used to build chronologies, that were later used to generate climate reconstruction models. It was possible to fin relations between temperature and precipitation and the tree growth in 2 of the sampling sites, and in one it was possible to build reconstruction models for some months. With growth data, it was possible to parameterize a new equation inserted in Falster et al. Model, which inputs temperature effect in the photosynthesis-related part of the model. After inputting the new equation it was possible to observe changes in the periodicity of the recruitment cycles in this forest

The variation in community composition among sites is often used to gain insight into the processes of plant community assembly. In this study, we looked for evidence of environmentally and spatially mediated community assembly mechanisms in a temperate forest in eastern North America. To test this, we measured, identified and mapped all woody stems ≥1 cm in diameter at breast height (DBH) in 12 ha of a 20 ha forest plot. We used principal coordinates of neighbor matrices (PCNM) to obtain variables that modelled spatial processes (eg. dispersal, drift) at the community level. Topographic variables (slope, elevation, convexity, aspect) were used to model environmental conditions. Variation partitioning was used to isolate the unique and shared effects of topographic and spatial variables on community composition. We were also interested in studying how associations with the environment change with tree size. For this we assessed the abundance of a subset of focal species in response to topography as well as human disturbance. Species abundance were divided into three stem size classes: small (< 5 cm), medium (≥5 cm and < 15), and big (≥15 cm). We found that topography and space jointly explained 63% of the variation in community composition. This variation was almost entirely spatially structured with the component of pure topography only contributing 1% to the total explained variation. A redundancy analysis showed that slope and elevation were the most important topographic variables structuring the distribution of trees. The focal species had largely independent distributions across the environmental gradients and three of the five species showed within-species differences associated with size class effects on the relationship with topography and human disturbance. The implications of these results are relevant to conservation efforts and suggest that large contiguous areas of heterogeneous environments are essential in maintaining biodiversity. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

No description available.

Störungen sind ein integraler Bestandteil von Waldökosystemen. Von einzelbaumweiser Seneszenz bis hin zu großflächigem Windwurf, Waldbrand oder Insektenbefall prägen sie natürlicherweise Artenzusammensetzung, Generationswechsel und Verjüngungsprozesse von Waldbeständen. Aufgrund wirtschaftsbedingt hoher Anteile an sekundären reinen Nadelholzbeständen und sich ändernden klimatischen Bedingungen ist der Einfluss großflächiger Störungen im letzten Jahrhundert in Mitteleuropa angestiegen und wird vermutlich auch zukünftig weiter an Bedeutung gewinnen. Das ökosystemare Verständnis über die Wirkung dieser Störungsereignisse auf Artenzusammensetzung und natürliche Waldentwicklung ist wesentlich für eine nachhaltige Waldbewirtschaftung. Im Wirtschaftswald kann der Einfluss natürlicher Störungen aufgrund stetiger Einflussnahme durch Räumung, Pflanzung und Durchforstungen schwerlich untersucht werden. Großflächige Schutzgebiete mit dem Prozessschutz dienenden unbewirtschafteten Kernzonen bieten hingegen diese Möglichkeit. Am Beispiel des Nationalparks Berchtesgaden im südlichen Oberbayern (Deutschland) wurde daher exemplarisch für die Nördlichen Kalkalpen die natürliche Waldentwicklung unter dem Einfluss des Borkenkäfers und die Veränderungen von Bestandesstrukturen und Biodiversität im Verlauf von Störung und Sukzession untersucht. Durch den großen Holzbedarf der regional ansässigen Salinenindustrie ab dem 16. Jahrhundert, der jahrhundertelangen Kahlschlagswirtschaft und den hohen Wilddichten im Bayerischen Hofjagdgebiet wurden die natürlicherweise in den montane Lagen stockenden Bergmischwälder aus Europäischer Buche, Weißtanne und Gemeiner Fichte in überwiegend reine, sekundäre Fichtenwälder umgewandelt. Seit Einrichtung des Nationalparks Berchtesgaden 1978 kam es besonders nach den Winterstürmen Vivian/Wiebcke 1990 und Kyrill 2007 zu stärkerem Borkenkäferbefall. Luftbildauswertungen belegen ein zerstreutes und eher kleinflächiges Befallsgeschehen außerhalb des Maßnahmenbereichs Borkenkäferbekämpfung. Mittlere Befallsflächengrößen lagen bei 0,07 ha (1990-1997) und 0,29 ha (2007-2012); die Gesamtbefallsflächen betrugen 30 ha (1990-1997) und 260 ha (2007-2012). Mit der Methodik einer unechten Zeitreihe konnte auf 140 Probeflächen die Entwicklung unbefallener Fichtenaltbestände über das beginnende frühsukzessionale Stadium (1-5 Jahre nach Borkenkäferbefall) hin zum fortgeschrittenen frühsukzessionalen Stadium (17-25 Jahre nach Borkenkäferbefall) von montaner bis subalpiner Höhenstufe in sonn- und schattseitigen Lagen erfasst werden. Das Absterben der Fichtenaltbestände durch den Borkenkäferbefall führte zu einer signifikanten Reduktion der Bestandesvolumina und der Kronenüberschirmung auf den Befallsflächen bei gleichzeitig massiver Zunahme an stehendem Totholz. Erhebliche Anteile des stehenden Totholzes brachen bei fortschreitender Zersetzung im Verlauf der untersuchten etwa 20-jährigen Sukzession zusammen. Humusabbau und signifikante Veränderungen des Mesoklimas durch die Störung waren nicht nachzuweisen. Die durch das Absterben des Kronendachs erhöhten Anteile an direkter Strahlung am Waldboden führten zu einer zunehmenden Deckung und Höhe der Bodenvegetation. Trotz der verstärkten Konkurrenzsituation mit der Bodenvegetation kam es, besonders in montaner Lage, zu einer zügigen Verjüngung der Befallsflächen mit Jungwuchsdichten von im Median rund 5.000 Pflanzen > 50 cm Höhe und weiteren etwa 5.000 Pflanzen < 50 cm Höhe pro Hektar, zwei Jahrzehnte nach dem Borkenkäferbefall. Hochmontan war diese Entwicklung verzögert zu beobachten. Hier nahm Bedeutung des Totholzes als Keim- und Wuchssubstrat mit zunehmender Zersetzung zu. Der Jungwuchs wurde von Gemeiner Fichte, Bergahorn und Vogelbeere dominiert. Die natürlichen Hauptbaumarten des Bergmischwaldes – Europäische Buche und Weißtanne – fehlten jedoch aufgrund der historischen Bewirtschaftung und mangelnden Samenbäumen auch im Jungwuchs weitgehend. Die Störung führte unter anderem durch das räumlich unregelmäßige Aufkommen des Jungwuchses zu einer erhöhten strukturellen Heterogenität auf Bestandes- und Landschaftsebene. Entgegen der Erwartungen spielte die Vorausverjüngung für die Verjüngung nach dem Störungsereignis eine vernachlässigbar geringe Rolle. Mehr als 90 % der Jungwuchsindividuen waren nach dem Störungsereignis gekeimt und bestätigten damit eine große Resilienz der Bergwälder nach mittelgroßen Störungsereignissen unter der Voraussetzung angepasster Schalenwildbestände. Bei den untersuchten epigäischen Artengruppen waren keine Veränderungen (Käfer, Spinnentiere, Mollusken), bzw. ein Rückgang der Artenvielfalt (Springschwänze) aufgrund fehlender Streunachlieferung nach der Störung zu beobachten. Die licht-, nährstoff- und totholzbedürftigen Arten profitierten hingegen von den temporären Lückenbedingungen und reagierten überwiegend mit einem Anstieg der Artenvielfalt im Verlauf der Sukzession. Dieser Anstieg war auch zwei Jahrzehnte nach dem Störungsereignis trotz zunehmender Verjüngungsdichten noch zu beobachten. Dies verdeutlicht die Relevanz von sich langsam schließenden Bestandesöffnungen für eine vollständige Entwicklung der Biodiversität heliophiler Artengruppen in Waldökosystemen. Durch das Mosaik verschiedener, kleinräumig verbreiteter Sukzessionsstadien auf Landschaftsebene zeigten besonders die totholzbesiedelnden Pilze und Käfer eine hohe Gamma-Diversität im Gebiet. Die Artengemeinschaften der Gefäßpflanzen ähnelten sich hingegen stark in ihrer Artenzusammensetzung in den drei untersuchten Sukzessionsstadien und zeichneten sich mehr durch eine Verschiebung der Dominanzverhältnisse aus.   Räumung und Pflanzung auf Befallsflächen innerhalb des Maßnahmenbereichs Borkenkäferbekämpfung führten im Vergleich zu den unbehandelten Befallsflächen nicht zu einer Erhöhung der Jungwuchsdichten im beginnenden frühsukzessionalen Stadium, aber zu einer Steigerung der Anteile an Weißtanne und Europäischer Buche im Jungwuchs. Mollusken, Wanzen und bestäubende Käferarten reagierten auf die tendenziell höheren Strahlungsmengen am Waldboden und zeigten höhere Artenzahlen auf den geräumten Flächen. Zeitgleich veränderte die Räumung des befallenen Totholzes die Artenzusammensetzung vieler der untersuchten Artengruppen und reduzierte die Artenvielfalt der xylobionten Käfer. Der forstlichen und naturschutzfachlichen Praxis wird aus den Ergebnissen dieser Untersuchung heraus empfohlen, die durch natürlichen Störungen entstandenen Lücken und Strukturen zu nutzen, um den Erhalt von licht-, nährstoff- und totholzbedürftigen Artengruppen zu fördern und, soweit aus Gründen des Lawinen- und Forstschutzes möglich, auf Räumung und direkte Bepflanzung der Flächen zu verzichten. Wo es das Ziel ist, die natürliche Baumartenzusammensetzung der Bergmischwälder kurzfristig wieder herzustellen, müssen Buche und Tanne bei einem Mangel an Samenbäumen künstlich eingebracht werden. Ansonsten weisen die im Gebiet stockenden Bergwälder unter der Voraussetzung angepasster Wildbestände bei mittelgroßen Störungsereignissen eine große Resilienz auf und lassen ein Schließen der Bestandeslücken durch Naturverjüngung erwarten.

Species that become naturalized in a new geographical range, subsequently multiply and spread, and persist to the detriment of resident communities, are known as alien invasive species. Two aspects of species invasion – spread and ecological impact – were examined using Lantana camara L. (henceforth lantana) as the study system, specifically in the context of a seasonally dry tropical forest ecosystem of the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park. Lantana is a thicket-forming woody shrub of South and central American origin, which is now widespread across the tropics. The thesis is divided broadly into two parts -the first part examines the influences of environmental factors on the distribution and spread of lantana while the second part focuses on the effects of lantana on the distribution, survival and growth of native woody species. Much of the work presented in this thesis was conducted within a 50 ha permanent plot (the Mudumalai Forest Dynamics Plot, MFDP hereon) in Mudumalai, chiefly because the history of invasion by lantana has been recorded here since 1989. The influence of changing resources on lantana invasion was explored at two scales -small spatial but fine temporal scale in the MFDP and at the level of the landscape. Available data on an 18 year chronosequence of changes in the qualitative density of lantana from the MFDP and field studies between the years 2009 and 2010 were used to determine the environmental correlates of lantana spread in time and space. It was found that biotic factors such as the presence of the shrub Helicteres isora and abiotic factors such as proximity to drainages and the combination of fire and drought promoted the intensification of lantana invasion in time while proximity to streams, higher total annual rainfall and low fire frequency contributed to lantana invasion at the landscape level. The impacts of lantana on the seedlings of native woody species were assessed in 10m x 10m plots within the MFDP. An initial enumeration of 60 such plots revealed that animaldispersed, dry forest habitat preferring species were most affected by the presence of dense lantana. A follow-up study comprising of growth and survival measurements made on 1105 seedlings over two years (2008-2010) further confirmed that dry forest preferring species were most affected by the presence of dense lantana and that this response at the community level was most likely influenced by the most abundantly sampled species in this habitat preference guild – Catunaregam spinosa. In conclusion, while the environmental correlates of lantana most likely promoted its invasion, only certain guilds of native species seemed to be negatively affected by the presence of lantana.

As condições físicas do ambiente, pretéritas e atuais, determinam variações quanto à estrutura e distribuição dos manguezais ao longo das áreas litorâneas. O presente estudo visa caracterizar as tendências da dinâmica de bosques de mangue do Sistema Cananéia-Iguape. Tratamento de imagens digitais e dinâmica de feições sedimentares na região forneceram subsídios para o presente estudo. O Sistema Cananéia-Iguape está localizado no extremo sul do Estado de São Paulo (Brasil), latitude de 25oS. Imagens digitais TM/Landsat5, WRS 220/77 D, composição colorida (RGB) TM4/TM3/TM2, de duas datas (14/09/86 e 02/09/99) foram tratadas no SIG ILWIS (Integrated Land and Water Information System). Os pontos de amostragem de estrutura dos bosques de mangue e de topografia foram escolhidos considerando-se os resultados da classificação superviosionada e da dinâmica sedimentar das feições de deposição no sistema, segundo Tessler (1982) e Tessler & Furtado (1983). Para estudo da estrutura dos bosques de mangue adotou-se metodologia de Schaeffer-Novelli & Cintrón (1986). Análise de agrupamento por ligação simples confirmou os resultados obtidos no tratamento de dados de estrutura dos bosques de mangue. A dinâmica sedimentar e a topografia são fatores que determinam a colonização por determinadas espécies de mangue em feições de deposição. / Past and current environment conditions drive changes to mangrove structure and distribuition along the coast. This paper aims to caracterize mangrove forest dynamic tendencies at Cananeia-Iguape System. Digital image processing and region morphodynamics support the present study. Cananeia-Iguape System is located at the South of São Paulo State (Brazil), latitude 25oS. A colored composition (RGB TM4/TM3/TM2) of Landsat TM digital images (WRS 220/77D) from different dates (14/09/86 and 02/09/99) were processed with ILWIS SIG (Integrated Land and Water Information System). Mangrove forest structure and topographic sampling spots were chosen given the results of supervised classification and given its sedimentary morphodynamic deposition, following Tessler (1982) and Tessler & Furtado (1983). Mangrove forest structure study is based on Cintrón & Schaeffer-Novelli (1984). Single linkage cluster analysis has confirmed the results obtained from the mangrove forest structure study. Region sedimentary dynamics and topographic factors drive mangrove colonization by particular species on deposition shores.

As condições físicas do ambiente, pretéritas e atuais, determinam variações quanto à estrutura e distribuição dos manguezais ao longo das áreas litorâneas. O presente estudo visa caracterizar as tendências da dinâmica de bosques de mangue do Sistema Cananéia-Iguape. Tratamento de imagens digitais e dinâmica de feições sedimentares na região forneceram subsídios para o presente estudo. O Sistema Cananéia-Iguape está localizado no extremo sul do Estado de São Paulo (Brasil), latitude de 25oS. Imagens digitais TM/Landsat5, WRS 220/77 D, composição colorida (RGB) TM4/TM3/TM2, de duas datas (14/09/86 e 02/09/99) foram tratadas no SIG ILWIS (Integrated Land and Water Information System). Os pontos de amostragem de estrutura dos bosques de mangue e de topografia foram escolhidos considerando-se os resultados da classificação superviosionada e da dinâmica sedimentar das feições de deposição no sistema, segundo Tessler (1982) e Tessler & Furtado (1983). Para estudo da estrutura dos bosques de mangue adotou-se metodologia de Schaeffer-Novelli & Cintrón (1986). Análise de agrupamento por ligação simples confirmou os resultados obtidos no tratamento de dados de estrutura dos bosques de mangue. A dinâmica sedimentar e a topografia são fatores que determinam a colonização por determinadas espécies de mangue em feições de deposição. / Past and current environment conditions drive changes to mangrove structure and distribuition along the coast. This paper aims to caracterize mangrove forest dynamic tendencies at Cananeia-Iguape System. Digital image processing and region morphodynamics support the present study. Cananeia-Iguape System is located at the South of São Paulo State (Brazil), latitude 25oS. A colored composition (RGB TM4/TM3/TM2) of Landsat TM digital images (WRS 220/77D) from different dates (14/09/86 and 02/09/99) were processed with ILWIS SIG (Integrated Land and Water Information System). Mangrove forest structure and topographic sampling spots were chosen given the results of supervised classification and given its sedimentary morphodynamic deposition, following Tessler (1982) and Tessler & Furtado (1983). Mangrove forest structure study is based on Cintrón & Schaeffer-Novelli (1984). Single linkage cluster analysis has confirmed the results obtained from the mangrove forest structure study. Region sedimentary dynamics and topographic factors drive mangrove colonization by particular species on deposition shores.

The impacts of climate change on temperate forests are predicted to accelerate, with widespread implications for forest biodiversity and function. Remote sensing has provided insights into regional patterns of vegetation dynamics, and experimental studies have demonstrated impacts of specific changes on individual species. However, forests are diverse and complex ecosystems. To understand how different species in different forests respond to interacting environmental pressures, widespread ground-based monitoring is needed. The only practical way to achieve this is through the involvement of non-professional researchers, i.e., with citizen science. However, many techniques used to identify subtle changes in forests require expensive equipment and professional expertise. This thesis aimed to identify practical methods for citizen scientists to collect useful data on forest ecosystem dynamics in relation to climate change. Methods for monitoring tree phenology and canopy-understorey interactions were the main focus, as tree phenology exerts strong control on understorey light and forest biodiversity, and is already responding to climate change. The response of understorey vegetation to canopy closure in four woodlands from a single region of England (Devon) was examined in detail. These geographically close woodlands differed considerably in their composition and seasonal dynamics. The spring period was particularly important for herb-layer development, and small variations in canopy openness had important effects on herb-layer cover and composition. This work highlights the need to monitor a range of different woodlands at the regional scale, with sufficient resolution to pick up small but crucial differences through time. Citizen scientists could help to collect such data by monitoring herb-layer cover and changes in the abundance of key species, alongside monitoring the overstorey canopy. The spring leaf phenology of four canopy trees (ash, beech, oak and sycamore) were monitored intensively in one woodland using a range of methods: counts, percentage estimates and photography. First budburst and leaf expansion dates were compared with estimates of leaf expansion timing and rate, derived from time-series data using logistic growth models. Frequently used first-event dates were potentially misleading due to high variation in leaf development rates within and between species. Percentage estimates and counts produced similar estimates of leaf expansion timing and rate. A photo-derived greenness index produced similar estimates of timing, but not rate, and was compromised by practical issues of photographing individual crowns in closed canopy woodland. Citizen science should collect time-series data instead of frequently-used first event dates―visual observations offer the most practical way to do this, but further work is needed to test reliability with citizen scientists. Given high intra- and inter-species variation in tree phenology, whole forest canopies need to be monitored to infer canopy closure timing. Canopy openness was assessed using sophisticated hemispherical photography and a range of low-cost alternatives, across four Devon woodlands over a year. Visual estimates and ordinary photography were too coarse to identify fine-scale variation in canopies. Smartphone fisheye photography analysed with free software was identified as a reliable surrogate for estimating relative, though not absolute, canopy openness. The method has high potential as a citizen science tool, as different phone models and users gave similar canopy openness estimates. In a detailed follow-up study, smartphone fisheye photography, hemispherical photography and visual observations of leaf expansion were used every other day to characterise spring canopy development. Logistic growth models estimated canopy closure timing and rate. Visual observations identified much earlier canopy development than either photographic method. Smartphone fisheye photography performed comparably to hemispherical photography. There is good potential for practical application of smartphone fisheye photography, as similar canopy closure estimates were gained from photos taken once every two weeks. The research in this thesis identifies a range of methods suitable for widespread monitoring of forest ecosystem dynamics in relation to climate change. Developing a smartphone app for automatic analysis and submission of canopy images will be an important next step to enabling widespread use. A pilot project is underway to begin testing methods with citizen scientists. Further research into data quality with citizen scientists is needed before the methods can be rolled out widely with confidence.