Alyssa Rosemartin

SNRE, University of ArizonaAssistant Director & IT Coordinator for USA-NPN

Tracking Seasonal Patterns in the Sonoran Desert

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May

Larrea tridentata - Creosote

June

Carnegiea giganteaSaguaroWhite-winged dove and Lesser long-nosed bat

July

Prosopis veluntinaVelvet mesquite

August

Punica granatumPomegranate

September

Several Opuntia speciesPrickly Pear Cactus

October

Cucurbita digitataCoyote gourd

November

Simmondsia chinensisJojoba

December

Citrus x paradisiGrapefruit

January

Carya illinoinensisPecan

February

Phoradendron californicumDesert mistletoe

Phainopepla

March

Eschscholzia californicaCalifornia poppy

April

Cirsium arizonicumArizona thistle Lesser goldfinch

Why do we see these patterns?

Something in the environment triggers plants to put on leaves, flowers and fruits, could be: Rainfall Temperature Day length Soil moisture

Climate change is already changing rainfall and temps around the country – how is it impacting the plants and animals here?

So, let’s look at our current patterns…

Tucson, Arizona Washington DC

Sunlight and warmth

Tucson, Arizona Washington DC

Rain and humidity

Variation in space

Variation in time

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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Predicting later flowering with warmer May temps

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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edit:

L. B

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Nature’s Notebook

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/ripe 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

Getting started in Nature’s Notebook

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

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

Poll

Phenology trails

A phenology trail is a network of Nature’s Notebook observation sites, which usually share species, a research and engagement goals.

Photo credit: L. Barnett

Photo credit: L. Barnett Photo credit: L. Barnett

Photo credit: L. Barnett

Tucson Phenology Trail

Includes sites at:

• Oracle State Park• Biosphere 2• Tucson Audubon Mason

Center • University of Arizona Campus• Tucson Botanical Garden• Agua Caliente Park• Sweetwater Wetlands• Pima Extension Offices • Santa Rita Experimental

Range• Several neighborhood

associations and schools.

Tucson Audubon Mason Center

Looking for a team of volunteers to collect phenology data throughout the year

Contact Bete Jonesbjones@tucsonaudubon.org520-209-1812

Ways to get involved

Observe plant and animal phenology with Nature’s Notebook

Join the Tucson Phenology Trail – Mason Center site

Volunteer harvesting fruit with Iskashitaa

Keep a yard or garden journal or photo log

Take a Master Gardener class

Thank you!

Alyssa Rosemartinalyssa@usanpn.org

A NATIONAL NETWORK OF INTEGRATED PHENOLOGICAL

OBSERVATIONS ACROSS SPACE AND TIME.

Primary goal• Understand how plants, animals &

landscapes respond to climatic variation and change.

• Create a standardized dataset to support 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.

USA National Phenology Network

Photo credit: C. Enquist

Invasions

AllergiesPests &

Diseases

Wildfires Flu season

Agriculture

Festivals

Ecotourism

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Why do we care about phenology?

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

Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct-10%

0%

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20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Phenology in the Tucson Basin

Proportion of positive reports for flowering (top) and leafing (bottom) by month (Nov 2012-Oct 2013), and rainfall events in inches from the Historic Climate Network.