Exploring drought controls on spring phenology

The timing of spring phenology can be influenced by several drivers. Many studies have shown the effect of temperature on spring vegetation growth, but the role of moisture is complex and not as well researched. We explored drivers for aspen spring phenology in the mountains of the western U.S. While temperature exerted control over the timing of aspen green-up in the spring, snow moisture as measured by April 1 snow water equivalent (SWE), played a significant role especially in southern locations bordering the Colorado Plateau. Maximum spring temperatures (March-May) were significantly (p