Phenology and microclimate

Abstract

The Fairy Chasm Scientific Area encompasses twenty acres at the Lake Michigan end of a series of ravines that begin approximately 1 1/4 miles west of the shore of Lake Michigan in Ozaukee County. These ravines vary from sixty to one hundred feet in depth and have some slopes greater than 45°. The protection of the slopes, the cool air draining down them, and the cool winds coming off the lake, create a microclimate suitable for many northern species of plants. This study examined the effects of different microclimates on the phenology of several plant species. A second objective involved testing the applicability of the duration-summation temperature method of heat accumulation (Lindsey and Newman 1956) to an area of diverse topography.