How are your data being used? Theresa Crimmins Partnerships & Outreach Coordinator, USA-NPN
Who uses phenology data and how do they use it?
How are managers and decision makers using phenology data?
Tracking leaf fall to improve water quality
Tracking leaf fall to improve water quality
Tracking leaf fall to improve water quality et al., 2014
Buffelgrass: Get it while it’s green! Tucson Buffelgrass Network
Buffelgrass: Get it while it’s green! Tucson Buffelgrass Network
Buffelgrass: Get it while it’s green! Tucson Buffelgrass Network
Buffelgrass: Get it while it’s green! Tucson Buffelgrass Network When is the best time to spray herbicide? How can we use this information most efficiently?
Buffelgrass: Get it while it’s green! Tucson Buffelgrass Network
Buffelgrass: Get it while it’s green! Source: C. Wallace, 2014 (
Assessing forest vulnerability to climate change
r 2 =0.35 r 2 =0.18 r 2 =0.02 r 2 =0.59
Phenology is changing rapidly This affects species distributions, abundance, interactions, and more Monitoring will inform adaptive refuge management
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
Valle de Oro NWR Time restoration activities to: 1.avoid seed dispersal of elm 2.maximize dispersal of cottonwood
Photos: Erin Posthumus, Jacopo Werther, Wikimedia Commons Mar 1 Mar 15 Apr 1 Apr 15
Recent research in spring phenology
What makes plants put on leaves in the spring? Day of year Accumulated heat (eg, Growing degree days) Jan 1 Mar 1
What makes plants put on leaves in the spring? Day of year Accumulated heat (eg, Growing degree days) Species x Jan 1 Mar 1
What makes plants put on leaves in the spring? Day of year Accumulated heat (eg, Growing degree days) Species y Jan 1 Mar 1
Does it matter whether the warmth happens during the day or night? Piao et al., Nature Climate Change
Findings: Leaf unfolding triggered more by daytime temps than nighttime temps Piao et al., Nature Climate Change
Importance: Can improve predictions of leaf- out Piao et al., Nature Climate Change
How can we determine the heat requirement for leaf-out for a particular species? Day of year Accumulated heat (eg, Growing degree days) Jan 1 Mar 1 ?
How are your observations used?
Fu et al., Global Change Biology
What about chill requirements? Fu et al., Global Change Biology
What about chill requirements? Fu et al., Global Change Biology It matters! Over period : Temps increased ~1.4ºC Heat requirement increased 50%
What about chill requirements? Fu et al., Global Change Biology It matters! Warmer winters could delay leaf-out in the spring
Fu et al., Global Change Biology
Springcasting…
Springcasting
“Start of Spring” Indicator
Summary statistics
Nature’s Notebook reporting data Source: new USA-NPN data visualization tool
Nature’s Notebook reporting data
Learn more! Visualization tool webinar Jul 14 2pm Eastern (1 Cen, 12 Mtn, 11 Pac) Register:
Thank