Data and code from: Data integration advances reproductive phenology research across temporal, spatial, and taxonomic scales

Climate change is altering plant reproductive phenology; however, a
scarcity of long-term, systematic monitoring hinders our ability to
quantify and predict these responses in many parts of the world. We
addressed this gap by demonstrating how data integration can be used to
produce a synthesised record of reproductive phenology observations
(flowering and fruiting) that spans longer time periods, larger spatial
scales, and includes more species than any single source alone. Using
Australian subtropical rainforest trees as a case study, we integrated
reproductive phenology observations from both common data
sources—published datasets, herbarium specimens, and citizen science
records—and previously untapped expert botanical knowledge, including
private photographic collections, field notes, and seed collections. Data
integration yielded 110,657 records of flowers or fruits from 915 species
(representing half of all subtropical rainforest tree species) spanning
255 years (1770-2025). We found that different data sources provided
unique information across temporal, spatial, and taxonomic dimensions.
Herbarium specimens provided the longest taxonomic coverage, while citizen
science contributed the most recent observations. Critically, 197 species
(21.5 %) were represented from only a single source, including 154 species
represented solely by herbarium specimens and 46 species in expert
botanist collections. While 46.6 % of species had fewer than 50
observations, for many species, these represent the only available
historical phenology data. This integrated dataset may be the only
available resource for establishing pre-industrial baselines for the
reproductive phenology of Australian subtropical rainforest trees. This
would not have been possible without the engagement and contributions of
the local botanical community, which greatly expanded the research
capacity beyond conventional data sources.