Dormancy is a period in an
organism's life cycle when growth, development, and (in animals) physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes
metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserve
energy. Dormancy tends to be closely associated with
environmental conditions. Organisms can synchronize entry to a dormant phase with their
environment through predictive or consequential means.
Predictive dormancy occurs when an organism enters a dormant phase
before the onset of adverse conditions. For example,
photoperiod and decreasing
temperature are used by many
plants to predict the onset of winter.
Consequential dormancy occurs when organisms enter a dormant phase
after adverse conditions have arisen. This is commonly found in areas with an unpredictable climate. While very sudden changes in conditions may lead to a high
mortality rate among animals relying on consequential dormancy, its use can be advantageous, as organisms remain active longer and are therefore able to make greater use of available resources.