Vertebrate phenology at similar latitudes: temperature responses differ between Poland and the United Kingdom

We examined the phenology of two amphibians (common frog Rana temporaria, common toad Bufo bufo) and one resident bird species (blackbird Turdus merula) at locations in Poland and in the UK on similar latitudes. The timing of phenology was earlier in the UK than in Poland, presumably as a consequence of a warmer maritime environment. This was further confirmed by the earlier frog spawn phenology in the warmer west of the UK than in the east. In the amphibians, the response to temperature was significantly greater in the UK than in Poland, although for the resident bird species the greater response in the UK did not achieve significance. These results suggest that species are adapted to local conditions. However if such adaptive strategies are not able to evolve rapidly to match rapidly changing climatic conditions then severe disruption to the least flexible elements in any system may result.