ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Analysis of a long-term phenological record in Osaka show that the date of first bloom of the cherry has become earlier by 0.11 days per year during the last 60 years. This is attributed not only to surface and air temperature increases due to both global warming and heat island effects, but also to subsurface temperature warming. Analyses of long term records of the dates of the first bloom of the cherry in Japan have also been made during the last 100 years. The subsurface temperature may be the better signature or indicator for the date of the first bloom of the cherry, instead of air temperature which was used in previous studies for the estimation of the first bloom of the cherry, because the subsurface temperature is the actual accumulated and integrated thermal regime.
