Tucson Phenology Monitoring Project

1. Pima Master Gardeners and USA-NPN Introduction to Phenology Tucson Phenology Monitoring Project

2. Opening Activity Using the card you have been given, find others in the group with the same SPECIES NAME. Once you are in a group of 3 or 4, discuss what you know about the life cycles listed on the cards. Share your answers with the class.

3. Phenology Observation Program • Overview • Intro to Phenology • USA National Phenology Network • Research and Education • Site-based Programs • Using Nature’s Notebook • USA-NPN and Master Gardeners

4. 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?

5. Intro to Phenology 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. 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. Leopold, A., and S.E. Jones. 1947. A phenological record for Sauk and Dane Counties, Wisconsin, 1935-1945. Ecological Monographs 17(1):81-122.

6. 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

7. Applications of Phenology Data 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.

8. Intro to Phenology Observation • Who observes phenology? • 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

9. 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)

10. 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 influenced by global environmental change Photo by Scot Miller

11. English Oak Winter Moth Pied Flycatcher Intro to Phenology • Phenology and Climate Change • Research, spring timing and range • A three- way mismatch EARLIER EARLIER SAME TIME EACH YEAR Both et al. 2006 Nature

12. 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

13. Phenology Observation Program • Overview • Intro to Phenology • USA National Phenology Network • Research and Education • Site-based Programs • Using Nature’s Notebook • USA-NPN and Master Gardeners

14. 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.

15. 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

16. USA-National Phenology Network • What Is Citizen Science? • 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

17. 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”

18. USA-National Phenology Network www.usanpn.org

19. 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.

20. 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

21. USA National Phenology Network 311 plant species and 160 animal species 3160 observers at 4412 sites observing 5459 individual organisms

22. USA National Phenology Network Phenology Monitoring Methods • Event Monitoring • Captures • First instance of phenologicalevent • Phenology of species with predictable series of events • Does not capture • Sampling Frequency • Estimated error in event date • Unusual events • Repeat events • Duration of phenological stages

23. Abundance and Intensity Captures Sampling frequency Error around date estimate Absence Unusual events Multiple occurrences of a phenophase in one year Phenophase duration USA National Phenology Network Phenology Monitoring Methods

24. Status Status & Abundance USA National Phenology Network Phenology Monitoring Methods Activity Reproduction Development Event Day of year

25. USA National Phenology Network USA-NPN Education Program Goals Science and Climate Literacy Science-Nature-Self Relationships The Integration of Science and Education Engage observers with Nature’s Notebook and data collection through providing directed scientific outdoor experiences.

26. 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

27. Nature Journal Activity • Nature Journals • 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

28. USA National Phenology Network Take a Rest!! 15 minute break

29. Phenology Observation Program • Overview • Intro to Phenology • USA National Phenology Network • Research and Education • Site-based Programs • Using Nature’s Notebook • USA-NPN and Master Gardeners

30. Research and Education Climate Change Climate Change • Recent and unusual rise in global temperature • Understand plant & animal response • Record early/late spring & fall events • Ecosystem shift • Multiple and long-term observations

31. Research and Education Combined Techniques Satellite/Remote Sensing Photographs Hand-recorded data

32. Research and Education Data visualization

33. 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?

34. 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…

35. 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.

36. Research and Education • Phenology is a teaching tool – can teach scientific process • Citizen science programs can assist with limited staffing • Volunteers or partnerships with agencies (Extension) can make monitoring more robust

37. Phenology Observation Program • Overview • Intro to Phenology • USA-NPN and USFWS Partnership • Research and Education • Site-based Programs • Using Nature’s Notebook • USA-NPN and Master Gardeners

38. Site-based Programs • Workshops & Tours • 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

39. Site-based Programs

40. Site-based Programs Tucson Phenology Trail Campus Arboretum National Phenology Network Pima Extension Office BioSphere2 Santa Rita Experimental Range Sam Hughes Neighborhood

41. Site-based Programs

42. Site-based Programs

43. 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

44. Site-based Programs

45. 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

46. Site-based Programs

47. 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 citizen-science 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

48. Site-based Programs • 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

49. 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 Emily’s shoe Shoes with laces White Helen’s shoe Tennis shoes Orange John’s shoe Shoes Not sandals Ryan’s shoe Shoes without laces Sandals Marco’s shoe

50. Dichotomous Key Activity – 20 mins Not tennis shoes Emily’s shoe Shoes with laces White Helen’s shoe Tennis shoes Orange John’s shoe Shoes Not sandals Ryan’s shoe Shoes without laces Sandals 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