NETN Monitoring Phenology (2007-2017)

Northeast Temperate Network

Phenology is "the study of the timing of recurrent biological events, the causes of their timing with regard to biotic and abiotic forces, and the interrelation among phases of the same or different species". Phenological events include flowering, leaf out, migrations, hibernation, and other similar seasonal biological events. These events are critical to many aspects of human life - e.g., agriculture, gardening, health, cultural events, and recreation—and nearly all ecological relationships and processes -e.g., plant-pollinator and predator-prey relationships, competition, and carbon and water cycling. This protocol was developed in collaboration with the USA National Phenological Network (USA-NPN; www.usanpn.org). Organized in 2007, the USA-NPN is a nation-wide partnership among federal agencies, schools and universities, citizen volunteers, and others to monitor and understand the influence of seasonal cycles on the nation's biological resources. Participants in the network collect, share, and use phenology data, models, and related information. The USA-NPN promotes broad understanding of plant and animal phenology and makes phenology data and related information freely available to scientists, resource managers and the public to aid in decision-making and adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Toward that end, the National Coordinating Office of the USA-NPN maintains a national phenology information management system and promotes the use of standardized approaches to monitoring phenology. USA-NPN monitoring standards were developed with extensive input from participating organizations. Both the USA-NPN data infrastructure and their standardized monitoring methods have been incorporated into this protocol. Phenology has been recognized as an early indicator of changing climate. Phenological cycles respond to variation in cues such as day length, temperature, and precipitation, and recent climate change has already led to widespread changes in phenological patterns across the globe. Altered phenology may have far-reaching consequences. As species respond individually to changing climate, food webs may become uncoupled and competitive relationships altered. For example, migrating birds may respond differently to changing conditions than their key food sources, and may arrive too early or too late to find enough food. Invasive exotic species may respond favorably to changing climate conditions and outcompete native species. Phenology is particularly well-suited to volunteer monitoring because it is both easy to observe and engaging to volunteers. Phenology "is perhaps the simplest process in which to track changes in the ecology of species in response to climate change".

NETN Monitoring Phenology (2007-2017)

Program

Products