Pima Master Gardeners and USA-NPN
Tucson
Phenology Monitoring
Project
Introduction
to Phenology
Opening Activity
1. Using the card you have been given,
find others in the group with the same
SPECIES NAME.
2. Once you are in a group of 3 or 4,
discuss what you know about the life
cycles listed on the cards.
3. Share your answers with the class.
Phenology Observation Program
Overview
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Intro to Phenology
USA National Phenology Network
Research and Education
Site-based Programs
Using Nature’s Notebook
USA-NPN and Master Gardeners
Phenology Observation
Do you keep a journal?
What do you notice about the seasons,
here versus another part of the country?
What is different about this year?
Intro to Phenology
Phenology is:
Phenology refers to recurring
plant and animal life cycle
stages, or phenophases, such
as leafing and flowering,
maturation of agricultural
plants, emergence of insects,
and migration of birds.
Phenology, in short, is a “horizontal science” which
transects all ordinary biological professions. Whoever
sees the land as a whole is likely to have an interest in it.
Leopold, A., and S.E. Jones. 1947. A phenological record for Sauk and Dane Counties, Wisconsin, 1935-1945. Ecological
Monographs 17(1):81-122.
Intro to Phenology
What is phenology?
• Nature’s calendar
• Blooms and buds
• Hibernation, migration
emergence
• Easy to observe from leaf to
globe
Why does it matter?
• Growth rate and range
• Animal – plant – climate
relationships
• Management strategies
• Leading indicator of
climate change impacts
Applications of Phenology Data
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Resource management
Conservation
Agriculture
Ecosystem services
Science
Health
Decision-support tools
Value of phenology
Phenology data helps us understand
how plants, animals and landscapes
respond to environmental variation
and climate change.
Intro to Phenology Observation
Who observes phenology?
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Famous historical figures
Historical data sets
Gardeners
Youth
Scientists
How can our community be
involved?
• Science and climate literacy
• Outdoor experiences
• Participate in scientific process
Intro to Phenology
Phenology and Climate Change
Research, spring timing and range
Types of observed shifts
• Timing of migratory bird arrivals
(Root et al. 2003, Gordo 2007)
• Timing of animal emergence
(Inouye et al. 2000, Parmesan et al. 2003)
• Timing of egg laying
(Brown et al. 1999)
Changing Migration Patterns
1977: 3,000 Brant
overwintered in Alaska
Today: 40,000 overwinter
(Ward et al. 2009)
Intro to Phenology
Phenology and Climate Change
Research, spring timing and range
• 43 species at Walden Pond
bloom 7 days earlier than
in Thoreau’s time
• Blueberries flower 21 days
earlier
• 27% of the species are no
longer there
• Importance of legacy
datasets
(Primack and Rushing, 2012)
SPECIES
AND ECOSYSTEMS
Photo by Scot Miller
INFLUENCED BY
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
Intro to Phenology
Phenology and Climate Change
EARLIER
Research, spring timing and range
A three- way mismatch
English Oak
EARLIER
Winter Moth
SAME TIME EACH YEAR
Pied Flycatcher
Both et al. 2006 Nature
Intro to Phenology
Research needs
• Long-term, accessible data set
• Interactive tools for visualization
• Plant and animal species data for
multiple locations
• Focal species
Results
• Better understanding of changes
• Analysis of impacts
• Communication
Phenology Observation Program
Overview
 USA National Phenology Network
USA National Phenology Network
Primary goal
To encourage observation of
phenological events and understand
how plants, animals and landscapes
respond to environmental variation
and climate change.
Mission
• Make phenology data, models and
related information available to
scientists, resource managers and
the public.
• Encourage people of all ages and
backgrounds to observe and
record phenology.
A NATIONAL NETWORK OF
INTEGRATED PHENOLOGICAL
OBSERVATIONS ACROSS SPACE AND
TIME.
USA National Phenology Network
Network Tools
• Standard methods for data
collection
• Basic and applied research
• Decision-support tools
• Education and outreach
Nature’s Notebook
Legacy Datasets
Citizen Science Project
USA-National Phenology Network
What Is Citizen Science?
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Engages volunteers
Expands ability of scientists
Teaches scientific methods
Public and professional scientists
Research teams
Educate and generate data
Citizen Science Info
• www.birds.cornell.edu/citsci/about
• www.CitSci.org
• www.scistarter.org
USA National Phenology Network
• Public Participation in Scientific
Research (PPSR) From Cornell Lab of
Ornithology
Citizen science, volunteer monitoring
and other forms of organized research
projects in which members of the public
engage are included in the field
• Meet science & research goals
• Invasive plants, birds,
bees/pollinators, earthquakes,
infectious disease, astronomy,
weather, wildlife, acid rain, oil spills,
wildlife, rainfall, archaeology,
pollution, “old weather”
USA-National Phenology Network
www.usanpn.org
A Multi-taxa, National-scale
Phenology System
What’s Nature’s Notebook?
A national plant and animal phenology
observation program.
Thousands of passionate citizen
scientists across the US share their
observations with researchers,
resource managers and others who
use this information to understand
our changing planet, make scientific
discoveries, and create new tools.
USA National Phenology Network
Online monitoring system
∙ 311 vetted plant species
∙ 160 vetted animal species
∙ Core protocols
∙ Abundance & intensity reporting
∙ Metadata & QA/QC methods
∙ Dynamic data visualizations
∙ Possible species additions by
request
USA National Phenology Network
311 plant species and 160 animal species
3160 observers at 4412 sites observing 5459 individual organisms
USA National Phenology Network
Phenology Monitoring Methods
Event Monitoring
Event
Date
First arrival
5-Apr
First egg
22-Apr
Captures
• First instance of phenological
event
• Phenology of species with
predictable series of events
Does not capture
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Sampling Frequency
Estimated error in event date
Unusual events
Repeat events
Duration of phenological stages
USA National Phenology Network
Phenology Monitoring Methods
Abundance and Intensity
Captures
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Sampling frequency
Error around date estimate
Absence
Unusual events
Multiple occurrences of a
phenophase in one year
• Phenophase duration
Do you see…
29-Mar
5-Apr
11-Apr
17-Apr
22-Apr
28-Apr
5-May
15-May
Adults
present?
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Y
Y
Y
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Y
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Nest with
eggs?
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N
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Y
Y
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Y
USA National Phenology Network
Phenology Monitoring Methods
Activity
Reproduction
Event
Status
Status &
Abundance
Day of year
Development
USA National Phenology Network
USA-NPN Education Program Goals
1. Science and Climate
Literacy
2. Science-Nature-Self
Relationships
3. The Integration of
Science and Education
Engage observers with Nature’s Notebook and data collection
through providing directed scientific outdoor experiences.
USA National Phenology Network
USA-NPN Education Program
• Connect people to nature
- Nature Deficit Disorder
• Agency engagement programs
• Formal/informal education
• Climate and science literacy
• Move beyond 'gloom and
doom' of climate change
Nature Journal Activity
Nature Journals
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Include basic information: date, time, weather, species
Text or sketches
Topography, layout, land alteration
Science, reference later
Phenology journals can be seasonal observations or just
dates on a calendar
USA National Phenology Network
Take a Rest!!
15 minute break
Phenology Observation Program
Overview
 Research and Education
Research and Education
Recent and unusual rise in global temperature
• Understand plant & animal response
• Record early/late spring & fall events
• Ecosystem shift
• Multiple and long-term observations
Research and Education
Combined Techniques
Satellite/Remote Sensing
Photographs
Hand-recorded data
Research and Education
Data visualization
Research and Education
Can we detect the anomalously warm spring of 2010 in the
NE US on organismal phenology?
NPN dataset - Opportunity to broaden
investigation to full ROI (St Louis, MO to NE
Maine) (Fredl et al, 2012. Unpublished.)
• Common deciduous forest over-story
trees, multi-species
• Data from 2009-2011 only
• 100s of sites, though time-series
variable (sometimes sparse or
discontinuous)
NPN data visualization tool
Emerging leaves or first leaf date
(FLD)
•Q: Advanced FLD in 2010
relative to 2009 and 2011?
Research and Education
Can we detect the anomalously warm spring of 2010 in the
NE US on organismal phenology?
Problematic because we collective consider
Multiple sites
Multiple individuals
Multiple observers
But, we are interested in population-level effects…
Research and Education
USA-NPN Resources
Available for Facilitation
Volunteer training materials
• Workshop agendas and powerpoints,
brochures, templates
• Curriculum for upper middle, high school
and adult programs
• Online training materials
Site-based resources
• Phenology trail and garden templates
USA-NPN EDUCATION PROGRAM STAFF CAN ASSIST WITH
PROGRAM DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION ON THE REFUGES.
Research and Education
Phenology Observation Program
Overview
 Site-based Programs
Site-based Programs
Workshops & Tours
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How to observe
Local species talks
Campus plant and tree walks
Demonstration gardens
Master Gardener Class with
Phenology chapter
• Phenology Trails and Phenology
Gardens
• Neighborhood Association
Partnerships
Site-based Programs
Site-based Programs
Campus
Arboretum
National
Phenology
Network
BioSphere2
Pima
Extension
Office
Sam Hughes
Neighborhood
Site-based Programs
Site-based Programs
Site-based Programs
A=Ocotillo
B=Palo Verde
C=Velvet Mesquite
D=Velvet Mesquite
E=Ocotillo
F=Saguaro
G=Ocotillo
H=Creosote
I=Creosote
J=Jojoba
Site-based Programs
Site-based Programs
Wildlife Refuges using Nature’s Notebook
The Kenai Peninsula is under pressure from a
drying, warming climate. Local residents and
seasonal visitors can help scientists study the
ways the forest, wetland and animal
populations are adapting to these changes by
recording data, spreading the word about
their observations, and reducing the negative
impacts to our special ecosystems on the
Kenai.
Leah Eskelin, Park Ranger
Kenai Peninsula NWR, Alaska
Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office
• Install gardens, host workshops, conduct
monitoring
• Train volunteers
Site-based Programs
Site-based Programs
Cooperative Extension and Nature’s Notebook
"Signs of the Seasons: A Maine Phenology
Project”, recruits and trains volunteers to
observe and record phenological data. One of
the goals of the program is to broaden general
knowledge of climate change by providing
citizens with the tools to gather climate change
data themselves - in other words it's a citizenscience initiative.”
–Mao Teng Lin, USFWS Gulf Coast of Maine
Gulf of Maine Coastal Program
Implementing a Phenology
Monitoring Network, in partnership
with local groups to track Florida
species response to climate change.
• Workshops, school groups,
curriculum, botanical gardens
Site-based Programs
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Backyard observations
Trail observations
Share your data set
Data analysis
Join the conversation!
“HAVING A REASON AND A
MECHANISM FOR PAYING
ATTENTION TO THE
NATURAL WORLD AROUND
ME ENRICHES MY LIFE.” —
HANS
Dichotomous Key Activity – 20 mins
Dichotomous means “divided into two parts” and a dichotomous
key offers two choices at each step leading to the identity of the object.
Used to identify things based on observable characteristics.
Using the traditional dichotomous key, one should be able to pick up any
object included in the key and follow the steps to arrive at its identity.
Not tennis shoes
Shoes with laces
Tennis shoes
Emily’s shoe
White
Orange
Shoes
Not sandals
Shoes without laces
Sandals
Helen’s shoe
John’s shoe
Ryan’s shoe
Marco’s shoe
Dichotomous Key Activity – 20 mins
Not tennis shoes
Shoes with laces
Tennis shoes
Emily’s shoe
White
Orange
Shoes
Not sandals
Shoes without laces
Sandals
Helen’s shoe
John’s shoe
Ryan’s shoe
Marco’s shoe
1. a. shoes with laces…………………………………….go to #2
b. shoes without laces…………………………………go to #4
2. a. not tennis shoes……………………………………..Emily’s shoe
b. tennis shoes…………………………………………go to #3
3. a. white………………………………………………...Helen’s shoe
b. orange……………………………………………….John’s shoe
4. a. not sandals…………………………………………..Ryan’s shoe
b. sandals………………………………………………Marco’s shoe
Dichotomous Key Activity – 20 mins
Dichotomous Key
with local species
20 mins – half hour
Phenology Observation Program
Overview
 Using Nature’s Notebook
Using Nature’s Notebook
Get Started!
Using Nature’s Notebook
Five Steps:
1. Select and delineate a site
2. Select plant and animal species
3. Tag individual plants
4. Record your observations of animals
and plants
5. Report your data online
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
Select and delineate a site
A site is the area within which
you will look for your species you
choose to observe. When you
select a site, such as your yard or
a nearby natural area, consider
these guidelines:
• Convenience and easily
accessible.
• Representative location of the
environmental conditions for
your area. Flat, gentle slope..
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
Select and delineate a site
• Uniform habitat
• Appropriate size - < 15 acres
• Plants and animals?
• Your backyard
• PROPER PERMISSION!
• Agency may already be
participating
• No trespassing
• More than 20 feet from
building
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
Select Plant and Animal
Species
• Choose from list of
recommended (vetted) species
• Calibration species
• Ecological importance
• Big-picture
• Proper identification
• Data quality!
• One - three plants for variation
• Use comments
Tag your plants!
• Ease of location
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
Record Observations
To make observations, you will
need:
• Phenophase definitions and
instructions
• Datasheets, clipboard, pencil:
You can download and print a
datasheet for each plant or
animals from the profile page
• Binoculars (optional)
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
Record
Observations
To make
observations,
you will need:
• Phenophase
definitions
and
instructions
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
Record Observations
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YES
NO
UNCERTAIN
No record if you did not check
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
Frequency of Observations
• As often as possible
• At least once a week
• All observations are valuable!
Time of Day
• Convenient
• Consistent
• Daytime
Keep looking
for a
phenophase
even if it has
ended
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
Why?
• Phenophases may be
triggered by moisture and
not just temperature
• Negative data is valuable
• Conditions may change
rapidly
• More data = better analysis
• Climate shift may be
changing when events
occur
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
• Plants: repeat observations of the same individual plants
• Animals: create a checklist for your site, look and listen for all
species each time you visit
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Using Nature’s Notebook
Enter Observations
Online
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Create your account
Register your site
Register your plants
Create your animal
checklist
www.usanpn.org/participate/guidelines
Using Nature’s Notebook
Create an
account
• Click on #3
Using Nature’s Notebook
Using Nature’s Notebook
Using Nature’s Notebook
Creating a site at home
Using Nature’s Notebook
Using Nature’s Notebook
Resources available to you:
• Online training materials for Nature’s Notebook at home
• Volunteer/community engagement tips
• Plans for implementation of Phenology Gardens and Trails with
corresponding curriculum
• Assistance from the USA-NPN Education Specialist on how to tailor
Nature’s Notebook to your needs
Phenology Observation Program
Overview
 USA-NPN & Master Gardeners
Assignment
Know your Native Plants!
Jojoba
Saguaro
Creosote bush
Velvet mesquite
Honey mesquite
Desert ironwood
Blue paloverde
Yellow paloverde
Questions?
Thank you!
You’re invited to
connect with USA-NPN…
• Sign up for a phenology
e-newsletter (quarterly)
• Join the Nature’s Notebook
community and become an
observer: Contribute to
science while having fun!
• Discover new tools and
resources for work or play
LoriAnne Barnett
USA-NPN
Education Coordinator
lorianne@usanpn.org