Nature's Notebook at the New York Botanical Garden: The power of citizen science in local and national discoveries Alyssa Rosemartin & Team USA National.

Nature's Notebook at the New York Botanical Garden:

The power of citizen science in local and national discoveries

Alyssa Rosemartin & TeamUSA National Phenology Network

National Coordinating OfficeTucson, Arizona

Why does phenology matter? What have data from the NYBG shown so

far? How do you get started in Nature’s

Notebook? How do you judge some of the trickier

phenophases? Question and answer session

Overview

Photo credit: L. Barnett

Photo credit: P. Warren

Observing change over time

I observed an unusual circumstance this spring on the foothill of Moscow Mountain, northern Idaho, elev. 3000‘.

I have been monitoring the arrival of hummers for many years here--they range in arrival from early to late April. Usually the Calliope is first, followed by the Rufous. Over the last few years, the Rufous have been either arriving at the same time or before the Calliope. This year the two were nearly simultaneous on Apr. 23. About a week later I spotted the Black Chinned--usually not often seen, and never before late June/July (followed in late summer by the Broadtailed).

Structuring observations

April 23, 2012

Comparing regionally

What is phenology?

The science of the seasons• Blooms and buds• Hibernation, migration,

emergence• Easy to observe

Photo credit: L. Barnett

…it is the study of recurring plant and animal life-cycle stages, or phenophases, and their relationship to environmental conditions.

Photo credit: P. Warren

Invasions

AllergiesPests &

Diseases

Wildfires Flu season

Agriculture

Festivals

Ecotourism

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Why do we care about phenology?

A multi-taxa, national-scalePlant and animal phenology observation

program

• Standardized protocols• Web and mobile apps for data entry• Data download and visualization• 3,000 observers reporting on 650 plant

and 250 animal species

Nature’s Notebookis for scientists, naturalists, volunteers, land

managers, park rangers, and YOU!

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Nature’s Notebook

Why does phenology matter? What have data from the NYBG shown so

far? How do you get started in Nature’s

Notebook? How do you judge some of the trickier

phenophases? Question and answer session

Overview

Pignut Hickory12%

Black Oak11%

Black Cherry10%

White Ash9%Red Maple

9%Sweetgum

8%

American Beech8%

Red Oak5%

Other species28%

Percent of Observations by Species

~200,000 records were collected from 2009-2013:

• 31 Species of trees• 3 Trails• 123 Individual trees

Top contributors were:

1. D. Gregg2. S. Zucker-Scharff3. T. Zucker-Scharff

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

10 10

15

22

28Number of species observed

Summary of NYBG forest dataset

Duration of leafing and flowering 2013 at the NYBG Forest

Emerging leaves

Open flowers

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

red maple

Emerging leaves

Open flowers

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

pignut hickory

Emerging leaves

Open flowers

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

black oak

Jan 1 Feb 19 Apr 10 May 30 Jul 19 Sep 7 Oct 27 Dec 16

Jan 1 Feb 19 Apr 10 May 30 Jul 19 Sep 7 Oct 27 Dec 16

Jan 1 Feb 19 Apr 10 May 30 Jul 19 Sep 7 Oct 27 Dec 16

Open flowersEmerging leaves

Black Oak

Pignut Hickory

Red Maple

Black Oak

Pignut Hickory

Red Maple

Black Oak

Pignut Hickory

Red Maple

Black Oak

Pignut Hickory

Red Maple

2010

2011

2012

2013

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Duration of flowering across years and species at the NYBG Forest

Jan 1 Feb 19 Apr 10 May 30 Jul 19 Sep 7 Oct 27 Dec 16

How does the forest compare to rest of the northeast?

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

NYBG Forest Data

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Nature’s Notebook Data

Jan 20

Feb 9

Mar 1

Mar 21

Apr 10

Apr 30

May 20

Jan 20

Feb 9

Mar 1

Mar 21

Apr 10

Apr 30

May 20

Onset of Emerging Leaves in 9 Deciduous Tree Species

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

50

100

150

200

250

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350

Nature's Notebook Data

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

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100

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200

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NYBG Forest Data

Feb 19

Apr 10

May 30

Jul 19

Sep 7

Oct 27

Dec 16

Feb 19

Apr 10

May 30

Jul 19

Sep 7

Oct 27

Dec 16

How does the forest compare to rest of the northeast?

Onset of Colored Leaves in 9 Deciduous Tree Species

2012: Onset of Open Flowers

Prediction for Baccharis pilularis :

Warmer temperatures should result in delayed flowering.

R2 = 0.67y = 4.77x + 162.4

p < 0.0001N=18 sites

Species: Baccharis pilularis (Coyotebrush)Site means reported from sites across California : GOGA-(15 sites), REDW-(5 sites), SAMO-(8 sites)Climate data obtained from PRISM website: prismmap.nacse.org/nn/

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Meanwhile in California: Relationship between temperature and flowering

Jeong et al., GRL 2013

Red

map

le (A

. rub

rum

)

A. rubrum, 2080-2099

Making predictions

What about this spring?

Why does phenology matter? What have data from the NYBG shown so

far? How do you get started in Nature’s

Notebook? How do you judge some of the trickier

phenophases? Question and answer session

Overview

Getting started in Nature’s Notebook

https://www.usanpn.org/user/register

Getting started in Nature’s Notebook

Getting started in Nature’s Notebook

Free for Android and iPhone devicesWorks without internet/data coverage

Nature’s Notebook mobile apps

www.usanpn.org/data/visualizations

Map, animate and graph data

Why does phenology matter? What have data from the NYBG shown so

far? How do you get started in Nature’s

Notebook? How do you judge some of the trickier

phenophases? Question and answer session

Overview

1. Leaves2. Flowers3. Fruits4. A bit about phenophase intensity

The definitions were written to be taken literally.

Tricky phenophases

Deciduous tree phenophases

Breaking leaf buds

Leaves

Increasing leaf size Colored leaves

Flowers or Flower Buds

Open Flowers

Fruits

Ripe Fruits

Do you see… breaking leaf buds?

Formerly known as “Emerging Leaves”

One or more breaking leaf buds are visible on the plant. A leaf bud is considered "breaking" once a green leaf tip is visible at the end of the bud, but before the first leaf from the bud has unfolded to expose the leaf stalk (petiole) or leaf base.

No Yes No

Leaf stalk or petiole is visible. Phot

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Emerging Leaf Duration –

American BeechBlack Cherry

Black OakPignut Hickory

Red MapleSweetgum

TuliptreeWhite Ash

American BeechBlack Cherry

Black OakPignut Hickory

Northern Red OakRed MapleSweetgum

TuliptreeWhite Ash

American BeechBlack Cherry

Black OakPignut Hickory

Northern Red OakRed MapleSweetgum

TuliptreeWhite Ash

American BeechBlack Cherry

Black OakPignut Hickory

Northern Red OakRed MapleSweetgum

TuliptreeWhite Ash

2010

2011

2012

2013

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350Jan 1 Feb 19 Apr 10 May 30 Jul 19 Sep 7 Oct 27 Dec 16

Emerging Leaf Duration in NYBG Forest

Do you see… leaves?

No – don’t count leaves as either leaves or colored leaves after they have lost all their pigments, nutrients and chlorophyll.

One or more live, unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. A leaf is considered "unfolded" once its entire length has emerged from the breaking bud so that the leaf stalk (petiole) or leaf base is visible at its point of attachment to the stem. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.

Do you see… colored leaves?

Yes

… and it doesn’t matter whysummer drought…. Insect damage or other stresses

One or more leaves have turned to their late-season colors. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves that remain on the plant.

Do you see… colored leaves?

Yes, and -

> 5% of leaves colored

Or,

Add a comment (for example “just a few leaves, due to stress”)

One or more leaves have turned to their late-season colors. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves that remain on the plant.

Do you see… flowers or flower buds?

One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds that are still developing, but do not include wilted or dried flowers.

No YesYes

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Do you see… flowers or flower buds?

One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds that are still developing, but do not include wilted or dried flowers.

NoYes

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Do you see… fruit?

One or more fruits are visible on the plant.

Do you see… ripe fruit?

One or more fruits are visible on the plant.

Do you see… fruit?

One or more fruits are visible on the plant.

Fruit: For Acer rubrum, the fruit is two joined seeds in a "V" shape, each seed having a wing, that changes from green or red to tan or brownish and drops from the plant‘

Ripe Fruit: or Acer rubrum, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned tan or brownish and readily drops from the plant when touched

Yes for fruitNo for ripe fruit

Do you see… fruit?

One or more fruits are visible on the plant.

Fruit: For Quercus rubra, the fruit is a nut (acorn), partially covered with a "cap", that changes from green to green-brown to brown, red brown or dark brown‘

Ripe Fruit - For Quercus rubra, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned brown, red brown or dark brown'

Yes for fruitNo for ripe fruit

Do you see… fruit?

One or more fruits are visible on the plant.

Fruit: For Prunus serotina, the fruit is a small, fleshy "cherry" that changes from green to purple-black or black'

Ripe fruit: For Prunus serotina, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned purple-black or black'

Yes for fruitYes for ripe fruit

Do you see… fruit?

One or more fruits are visible on the plant.

Yes, for fruit

Or

?, if the fruit is small, hard to tell

No, fruit or ripe fruit

Do you see… fruit or ripe fruit?

Yes, fruit and ripe fruit

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Do you see… recent fruit drop?

Yes, if a lot of unripe fruit from your last visit appears to have ripened and fallen.

Yes, if a storm seems to have brought a lot of ripe fruit down.

?, if you cannot determine if the fruit is old or recent.

What is intensity?

Less than 5% 95% or more

5-24% 25-49% 50-74% 75-94%

How many buds are breaking?

• Less than 3• 3 to 10• 11 to 100• 101 to 1,000• 1,001 to 10,000• More than 10,000

What percentage of the canopy is full with leaves?

If you answer “Yes” or “Uncertain” to a phenophase – you may be asked an additional question about the degree to which the phenophase is expressed, for example:

What percent of the canopy is full with leaves?

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Start with a bare tree… no leaves

What percent of the canopy is full with leaves?

Imagine it fully leafed out…

* Ignore dead branches in your estimate. Phot

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What percent of the canopy is full with leaves?

Less than 5%

5-24%

What percent of the canopy is full with leaves?

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What percent of the canopy is full with leaves?

25-49%

What percent of the canopy is full with leaves?

50-74%

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What percent of the canopy is full with leaves?

75-94%

What percent of the canopy is full with leaves?

95% or more

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Leaves: 25-49%Colored leaves: 25-49%

Leaves: 95% or moreColored leaves: No

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Leaves: 95% or moreColored leaves: 75-94%

Resources

1. Start with the definitions, and species-specific information.

2. Try the FAQ page.

3. Email [email protected].

Tuesday, April 8, 2014: Botany 101: Plant parts and tricky phenophases

Tuesday, June 10, 2014: A summary of spring: What have we learned from our campaigns so far?

Tuesday, July 8, 2014: What came first, the flower or the bee? Learn to explore patterns in space and time with our Visualization Tool

Upcoming webinars

Why does phenology matter? What have data from the NYBG shown so

far? How do you get started in Nature’s

Notebook? How do you judge some of the trickier

phenophases? Question and answer session

Overview

HOST PRESENTER

Erin PosthumusOutreach Associate

AlyssaRosemartinAssistant Director & IT Coordinator

Q&A Panel

Theresa CrimminsOutreach and Partnerships Coordinator@TheresaCrimmins

Ellen DennyMonitoring Design Coordinator

Patty GuertinBotanist

LoriAnne BarnettEducation Coordinator@LoriAnneBarnett

Thank you!