1. What is phenology? Phenology is the study of seasonal biological events observed in plants, animals, or microbes Appearance of wildflowers in spring Timing of autumn color change Timing of migration

2. Phenology and Climate Change Phenology is described as one of the most important indicators of climate change impacts on the nation. Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States. Thomas R. Karl, Jerry M. Melillo, and Thomas C. Peterson, (eds.). Cambridge University Press, 2009. Phenology is described as a tool to both understand climate change impacts on the Nation's resources as well as engage the public in a meaningful activity to work with scientists to track change in plant and animal activity as an indicator of climate change and environmental variation. US Global Change Research Program Strategic Plan, 2012-2021. USGCRP 2012.

3. why does phenology matter? biological interactions (herbivory, food webs, competition, pollination) growing season length (start and end of season, global carbon cycle, forest & agricultural productivity) human health ( pollen, mosquitoes ) sensitive to global change resonates with public creates personal connection to nature Photo: K. Oberhauser

4. February 2012 Bioscience

5. Phenology and Climate Change Research using Thoreau’s journals Photo by Scot Miller 43 species at Walden Pond bloom 7 days earlier than 150 years ago Blueberries flower 21 days earlier 27% of the species are no longer there Importance of legacy datasets (Primack and Rushing, 2012)

6. Phenology & Climate Change: The pulse of our planet Earlier spring phenology is common among thousands of diverse organisms Earlier leafing and flowering Ecological and Evolutionary Responses to Climate Change Camille Parmesan Ecological and Evolutionary Responses to Climate Change Camille Parmesan Bradshaw & Holzapfel Nature 2006

9. Miller-Rushing and Primack. 2008. Ecology

10. Phenology Movie