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Variable Responses of Highbush Blueberry Cultivars to Altered Snow Regimes
Winter, Cam
Winter, Cam
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Abstract
Climate change is altering winter snowpack across the northeastern United States, with cascading consequences for plant phenology, plant–pollinator interactions and crop productivity. Using a common-garden experiment in Burlington, Vermont, this study examined how experimental snow removal, ambient snowfall, and doubled snowfall affected four highbush blueberry cultivars (Vaccinium corymbosum: 'Duke', 'Blueray', 'Bluecrop', and 'Elliott'). Specifically, I investigated how altered snowpack effected (1) flowering phenology, (2) plant–pollinator interactions, and (3) blueberry fruit production outcomes. Snow manipulation significantly affected flowering duration, pollinator visitation, fruit mass, fruit diameter, and seed maturity, but responses were strongly cultivar specific. 'Duke' showed the greatest total flower sensitivity to increased snow, 'Elliott' flower duration was most sensitive to snow removal, and 'Bluecrop' showed concerning trends toward reduced fruit quality despite its commercial dominance. 'Blueray' demonstrated consistent reproductive performance across snow treatments. These results highlight that climate-driven changes in winter snow regimes will have cultivar dependent effects on pollination dynamics and fruit production, underscoring the importance of intraspecific variation for predicting ecological and agricultural responses to climate change.
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2026-05-01
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Cam_Winter_Thesis.pdf
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Gund Institute for Environment