Variable effects of land use/cover patterns on plant spring phenology in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia

Urbanization profoundly affects ecological processes across many scales. Most such effects are primarily due to land use/cover transformations. At the local scale proliferation of impervious surfaces and decreases in vegetation cover in cities have led to phenological differences between urban and rural areas. In this study, we monitored spring phenology of Populus alba L.var. pyramidalis Bunge, P. cathayana Rehd and P. tomentosa Carr. at multiple sites across the urban core and in the surrounding rural areas of Hohhot city, Inner Mongolia. We conclude that rural to urban land use/cover pattern transition in general advances spring phenophases by significantly increasing temperature, the primary environmental driver of phenology. Our study of the rapidly urbanizing area of Inner Mongolia provides important information for scientists and practitioners engaged in understanding effects of urbanization on environmental and human health.