Adding nitrogen and water to forest canopies does not simply speed up or slow down the seasonal timing of trees and shrubs — it produces opposite effects depending on the plant type, sometimes delaying spring leafing by days and shifting autumn color by nearly two weeks.
1
Canopy nitrogen addition delayed spring bud swelling in large trees by ~0.83 days and budburst in shrubs by ~1.50 days.
2
Water addition alone advanced spring bud swelling in small trees by 12.50 days, but combining it with nitrogen produced an antagonistic effect that partially reversed that advance.
3
Combined nitrogen and water addition synergistically delayed autumn leaf coloration and fall in large trees, while advancing peak and end of leaf coloration in shrubs by roughly 9-11 days.
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