Purposes of a Phenology Book

This volume’s authors make a case for phenology—not so much for phenology as it is commonly understood (a field technique of agricultural meteorology), but as an aspect of analysis and management of ecological systems or ecosystems. We have indicated its importance earlier (e.g., Lieth, 1970, 1971; Lieth and Radford, 1971) but our experience is mostly confined to plant-environment relations. Ecosystems require more comprehensive study.