Webinar #2, 2015 National Coordinating Office USA-NPN March 17, 2015 Nature’s Notebook Observation Deck Refresher & Sneak Peek
Sara Schaffer Web designer & Developer LoriAnne Barnett Education Patty Guertin Botanist Theresa Crimmins Partnerships & Outreach Erin Posthumus Outreach Associate & USFWS Liaison Alyssa Rosemartin Assistant Director Webinar & Outreach Team
Phenology The science of the seasons Blooms and buds Hibernation, migration, emergence Easy to observe Photo credits: L. Barnett …it is the study of the timing of recurring plant and animal life-cycle stages, or phenophases, and their relationship to environmental conditions.
U NDERSTAND HOW SPECIES AND LANDSCAPES ARE RESPONDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE. Primary goal Create a standardized 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. USA National Phenology Network Photo credit: C. Enquist
Nature’s Notebook for scientists, naturalists, volunteers, land managers, park rangers, and YOU! Photo credit: L. Romano
~4,500 active observers ~7,000 active sites species, many from M+ records Lilac data from 1956
Long term monitoring of the same individual plants Importance of entering the “no” observations At least weekly observations - catch the first “yes” If uncertain, use the “?”
Leaves Flowers Fruits
Common loon Activity Reproduction Method Photo: P199, Wikimedia Commons
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 Animal phenophases DURATION & HABITAT DETAILS
New models incorporating Nature’s Notebook data predict when leaves will change color in the fall Phenology helps to predict the expansion of extremely allergenic ragweed Deciduous trees may leaf out weeks earlier under future warming
Connect with USA-NPN… Sign up for a phenology e-newsletter Become an observer Discover new tools and resources Nature’s Notebook Support LoriAnne Barnett NPN Education Coordinator Sara Schaffer Web designer & Developer