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, day length and decreasing temperature are used by many plants as triggers to start dormancy before the onset of winter. Consequential dormancy occurs when organisms enter a dormant phase after adverse conditions arise. This is often found in areas with an unpredictable climate. Sudden changes in conditions may lead to a high mortality rate among animals relying on consequential dormancy. On the other hand, its use can be advantageous, as organisms remain active longer and are able to make greater use of available resources.

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