Phenological traits of vegetation: examples of some phytocoenoses from selected vegetation-series.

The rhythms of growth, flowering and fruiting of plant communities (symphenological patterns) are conditioned by synchronizing and asynchronizing factors. Phenological behaviours of species can be categorized into types and their synchrony or asynchrony (diversity) can be evaluated by numerical methods. Moreover, the phenological traits of a phytocoenosis can be compared and related with other features and criteria of classification. Each phytocoenosis has a typical symphenological pattern that is subject to variations (anomalies) depending on the weather and also on the stress and disturbance level: pheno-anomalies can lead to variations in the fitness of some species and possibly to the loss of biodiversity. In fact, the phenological traits enrich the bio-indication value of plants and should always be considered when attaining a global view of plant communities.