Oak spring and autumn phenology data in southern England 2011-2014

These data describe the spring budburst and autumn leaf senescence of mature oak (Quercus robur L.) in productive forests in the New Forest, East Anglia and Devon. The columns are marked springxx and autumnxx for budburst and senescence respectively in the year xx. The data was collected as part of two projects financed by the Forestry Commission with matched funding provided by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund ERDF) within the framework of the European INTERREG IV A 2 Mers Seas Zeeën Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013 (Project 090316 016-FR) and the Interreg IVA France (Channel) England Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2015 under the priority to: 'Ensure a sustainable environmental development of the common space'; with the objective to 'Ensure a balanced management of the environment and raise awareness about environmental issues'. These two projects are MULTIFOR: Management of Multi-Functional Forests (www.multifor.eu) and ADAFOR: Forest Management Adaptation. The data are derived from repeat manual observations over the period 2011-2014 in eight forest stands in the New Forest, eight stands in East Anglia, and four stands in Devon. Weekly or fortnightly visits were made to each stand and observations of the progression of budburst and leaf senescence were recorded. For spring, the data here show the day of year on which more than 3 of the 5 trees monitored had reached stage 4 (see Broadmeadow, M.S.J., Pitman, R.M., Jackson, S.B., Randle, T.J. and Durrant, D.W.H. (2000). Upgrading the Level II protocol for physiological modelling of cause-effect relationships: a pilot study. Final report for EC project No. 98.60.UK.003.0 – pilot and demonstration project of EEC regulation 3528/86 and EC 1091/94 on the protection of the Community’s forests and against atmospheric pollution. Forest Research, Edinburgh.). For autumn, the data here show the day of year on which more than 3 of the 5 trees monitored had reached stage 4 for either canopy colour or leaf-fall (see Eaton, E.L., Barsoum, N., Bonnart, X., Havet, N., and Morison J.I.L. (2015). Oak phenology in southern England and northern France. Report to the Forestry Commission and European Union.). See: Eaton, E.L., Barsoum, N., Bonnart, X., Havet, N., and Morison J.I.L. (2015). Oak phenology in southern England and northern France. Report to the Forestry Commission and European Union. pp19.