Ideas and perspectives: New research examples of autumnal climate change ecology

Abstract. Changes in autumnal climate affecting the diversity and productivity of the ecosphere are arguably as important as vernal climatic changes. Motivated by a recent call for more research on the biological and ecological consequences of autumnal climate change (Gallinat et al., 2015), we present three examples of innovative biogeoscience, employing novel datasets and methodologies, which refine our ability to monitor the physiological functioning and ecosystem performance during autumn. Drawn from recent research in wildlife biology (big-game hunting), wood anatomy (tree-ring formation) and mycology (mushroom inventory), these studies provide original insights that contribute to an improved understanding of how varying environmental and climatic conditions impact the phenology, productivity and diversity of different organisms in autumn.