Observing life cycles and change:
Making meaning out of our natural world
by taking a closer look
LoriAnne Barnett
Education Coordinator, USA-NPN
Photo credit: L. Barnett
Photo credit: L. Barnett
Photo credit: L. Barnett
Teens in the Garden
Take-Aways:
Climate drives life
Photo credit: E. Alderson
©W
Photo credit: P. Warren
Photo credit: L. Barnett
Photo credit: P. Warren
Climate drives life
-Mark Twain
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.
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 .
It is all about time …
Climate drives life
BIOMES –World’s Major Communities
Classified by major vegetation, adaptations to environment
Optimum conditions=
NICHE
Desert
Aquatic
Forest
Grassland
Tundra
Life Zones
http://alliance.la.asu.edu/maps/AZ_biomes_web.pdf
Climate drives life
1. Plants and Animals reproduce under
optimum conditions
2. Changing conditions alters species
tolerance
OBSERVE Species RESPONSE:
•
•
•
•
Arrival, birth, feeding
Shifting range boundaries, new biome?
Changing morphology
Extirpation or Extinction
http://www.ipcc.ch/
Teens in the Garden
Take-Aways:
Cycles are everywhere
Photo credit: E. Alderson
©W
Photo credit: P. Warren
Photo credit: L. Barnett
Photo credit: P. Warren
Cycles are everywhere
©Walt Disney Productions
Cycles are everywhere
Mating
Live Birth
ADULT
ANIMAL
LIFE CYCLE
YOUNG ADULTS
Feeding
Active Individuals
Cycles are everywhere
www.questgarden.com
GERMINATION
SEED/
EMBRYO
PLANT
LIFE CYCLE
Requires Optimum Conditions
www.samson.kean.edu
SET SEED
GREEN GROWTH
RIPE FRUIT
BEAN FLOWER
LEAVES
Cycles are everywhere
ANIMAL > Mammal, Bird, Snake
Activity
Reproduction
Development
PLANT
Leaves
Flowers
Fruits
Cycles are everywhere
Photo credit: L. Barnett
• Development relies upon internal,
environmental, and climatic cues.
• Cues move the species through the
next cycle.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Teens in the Garden
Take-Aways:
Phenology indicates change
Photo credit: E. Alderson
©W
Photo credit: P. Warren
Photo credit: L. Barnett
Photo credit: P. Warren
Phenology indicates change
A big picture concept…
That ties everything together.
Phenology indicates change
Just to be clear…
phRenology – a
pseudoscience focused on
measurements of the
human skull and size of
the
brain
phOnology – a
branch of linguistics
concerned with the
organization of sounds in
Phenology indicates change
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/phenology-and-nature-s-shifting-rhythms-regina-brinker
Phenology indicates change
Who observes phenology?
• Scientists
• Gardeners/Agriculturists
• Land managers
• Educators
• Youth
Photo credit: S. Schaffer
Photo credit: P. Warren
Photo credit: C. Enquist
Cycles are everywhere
Photo credit: L. Barnett
• Phenology tells us how species respond
to change
• Phenology helps us make management
decisions
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Phenology indicates change
Primary goal
• Observe phenological events
• Understand how plants, animals &
landscapes respond to climate
change
• Create a standardized dataset for
use in multiple types of research.
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.
A Multi-taxa, National-scale
• Plant and animal phenology
observation program
• Citizen science
• Core protocols for research
Nature’s Notebook
is for scientists, naturalists,
volunteers, land
managers, park rangers,
and YOU!
Phenology indicates change
ANIMAL > Mammal, Bird, Snake
Activity
• Active
individuals
• Feeding
PLANT
Leaves
• Buds
• Leaves
• Colored leaves
Reproduction
• Male combat
• Mating
Development
• Young
individuals
• Dead
individuals
PHENOPHASES
Flowers
• Buds
• Flowers
• Pollen
Fruits
• Ripe fruits
Method
• Individuals
at a feeding
station
Teens in the Garden
Take-Aways:
Records help us remember
Photo credit: E. Alderson
©W
Photo credit: P. Warren
Photo credit: L. Barnett
Photo credit: P. Warren
Records help us remember
Records help us remember
©Monticello
Records help us remember
101 – 1,000
95% or more
3 to 10
✓
Records help us remember
Records help us remember
Photo credit: Wikicommons
The source for this data was the USGS EROS Center (http://phenology.cr.usgs.gov/)
What’s next?
http://www.doublejackauctions.com/sanfordsun/Doughty%20CCYI%20Video%202013.mp4
What’s next?
How can I participate?
• Visit a partner group site and
collect and enter data
• Set up your own site
• Make and share observations
• Create your own science
questions
• Pursue a career in science,
climate studies, or phenology
QUESTIONS?
Photo credit: L. Barnett
Thank you!
You’re invited to
connect with USA-NPN…
LoriAnne Barnett
lorianne@usanpn.org
• 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
lorianne@usanpn.org
@loriannebarnett