Understanding seasonal and long-term changes around us through PHENOLOGY Nature’s rhythms: LoriAnne Barnett Education Coordinator

Important things we’ll discuss today: What is PHENOLOGY What are plant and animal life cycles? What do we know about seasonal changes in the desert? Why do we have certain plants and animals here? What can Nature’s Notebook help us understand?

What’s Phenology Phenology refers to recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, such as leafing and flowering, maturation of agricultural plants, emergence of insects, and migration of birds. It is also the study of these seasonal changes, especially their timing and relationships with weather and climate.

3 minutes 41 seconds.

What do I know about …

Photo credit: L. Barnett

-Mark Twain Climate Long-term average of daily weather in a given area. The average annual rainfall in Phoenix, AZ is ~8.0 inches. The average July high temp is 106°F. December is the average coolest month at 44-66°F. Weather Day-to-day changes in the Earth’s atmosphere. It rained last Thursday. There was a hard frost on January 15 in Tucson. Sunday will be sunny and 96°F. It is all about time …

Why is climate important to ecology? Climate drives what occurs where, what lives where, and how those species respond to their environment.

BIOMES –World’s Major Communities Classified by major vegetation, adaptations to environment Aquatic Grassland Desert Forest Tundra

Life Zones

RECORD KEEPING

Reproduction Development Method Activity ANIMAL >> Mammal, Bird, Snake, Insect Flowers Fruits Leaves PLANT Observable life cycle events or PHENOPHASES

Jefferson Powell Thoreau

Garden re-created Photo credit: Monticello

Acer rubrum (red maple); Photo credit: D. Hartel Observing the same individual through the seasons

Acer rubrum (red maple); Photo credit: D. Hartel Observing the same individual through the seasons

PLANT LIFE CYCLE GREEN GROWTH Requires Optimum Conditions FLOWER SET SEED

American kestrel Falco sparverius ©Wikimedia Commons Active

Complete Pupa INSECT LARVA PUPA ADULT

Citizen science …  scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by amateurs or nonprofessionals  public participation in scientific research  (also known as) crowd science, crowd-sourced science, or networked science Quercus alba, Q. falcata, Asclepias tuberosa; D. Hartel

U NDERSTAND HOW SPECIES AND LANDSCAPES ARE RESPONDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE. Primary goal Create a standardized, long-term dataset for use in multiple types of research. Mission Make phenology data, models and related information available. Encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to observe and record phenology. Photo credit: C. Enquist

Photo credit: L. Romano

Method Activity ANIMAL  Active individuals  Feeding  Individuals at a feeding station Flowers Fruits Leaves  Leaves  Colored leaves  Open flowers  Recent seed or fruit drop PLANT PHENOPHASES

Leaves Flowers Fruits Gambel Oak

Breaking leaf buds Leaves Increasing leaf size Colored leaves Flowers or Flower Buds Open Flowers FruitsRipe Fruits Recent fruit or seed drop DECIDUOUS PLANT PHENOPHASES

How the data are used Video link credit: NPS Climate Change Response. 8 minutes 33 seconds

Phenological Changes Early spring species blooming even earlier Fireflies hatching earlier Short-distance migrant birds arriving earlier Photo: natures pics, Wikimedia commons

How data are used USA-NPN green wave campaign

DBG data collected through USA-NPN

Participate in a phenology monitoring project!

USANPN Phenophases

Important things we’ll discuss today: What is PHENOLOGY What are plant and animal life cycles? What do we know about seasonal changes in the desert? Why do we have certain plants and animals here? What can Nature’s Notebook help us understand?

Connect with USA-NPN… Sign up for a phenology quarterly e-newsletter Become an observer Discover new tools and resources LoriAnne Barnett