A comprehensive evaluation framework for climate effect on plant viewing activities

Plant viewing activities, which encompass the enjoyment of seasonal plant phenomena such as flowering and autumn leaf coloration, have become popular worldwide. Plant viewing activities are increasingly challenged by climate change, as key components like plant phenology and climate comfort are highly sensitive to global warming. However, few studies have explored the impact of climate change on viewing activities, particularly from an integrated, multi-factor perspective. To address this gap, we proposed a comprehensive framework that systematically integrates plant phenology, ornamental value and climate comfort, and combines field surveys, questionnaires and phenological models to identify optimal plant viewing seasons and assess their shifts under climate change. A case study at the Summer Palace in Beijing demonstrates that our framework effectively captures variations in phenology, climate comfort and viewing seasons. Specifically, the period of comfortable climate conditions has advanced. The flower viewing season has shifted earlier, while autumn foliage viewing season has been delayed. The findings provide valuable insights for adaptive plant viewing activities management, informing strategies such as flexible scheduling of viewing festivals, optimization of tourism routes, and the development of climate-resilient policies, all of which are crucial for ensuring the sustainable future of tourism.