Journal article
Earlier wine-grape ripening driven by climatic warming and drying and management practices
LB Webb, PH Whetton, J Bhend, R Darbyshire, PR Briggs, EWR Barlow
Nature Climate Change | NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP | Published : 2012
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1417
Abstract
Trends in phenological phases associated with climate change are widely reported-yet attribution remains rare. Attribution research in biological systems is critical in assisting stakeholders to develop adaptation strategies, particularly if human factors may be exacerbating impacts. Detailed, quantified attribution helps to effectively target adaptation strategies, and counters recent tendencies to overattribute phenological trends to climate shifts. Wine grapes have been ripening earlier in Australia in recent years, often with undesirable impacts. Attribution analysis of detected trends in wine-grape maturity, using time series of up to 64 years in duration, indicates that two climate var..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We wish to thank I. Smith (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), A. Gallant and D. Karoly (University of Melbourne), and P. Hope (Australian Bureau of Meteorology) for discussions. S. Tyerman (University of Adelaide) assisted with understanding of berry physiology. G. Jones (Southern Oregon University) located one of the data sets. L. Chambers, I. MacAdam and A. Hobday reviewed the manuscript. Also, we thank N. White (Main Ridge Estate), A. Purbrick and R. Sutherland (Chateau Tahbilk), S. and B. Chambers (Chambers Rosewood Wines), T. Kent and V. Cullen (Cullen Wines, Western Australia), and P. and S. Henschke (Henschke Wines) who all provided information and records, without which this analysis could not have been done. This work was financially supported in part by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Climate Adaptation National Research Flagship and also by the Australian Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation.