PlantWatch

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Kim Parsons Research Assistant MUN Botanical
Garden
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What is PlantWatch?

• PlantWatch is part of the NatureWatch series.
• It is a volunteer monitoring program to help
  identify ecological changes that may be affecting
  our environment.

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What is PlantWatch?

• PlantWatch is a joint initiative between Nature
  Canada and Environment Canadas Ecological
  Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN).
• PlantWatch partners include representatives from
  each province and territory.

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What is PlantWatch?

• PlantWatch is a national phenology study.
• Phenology is the study of important events in the
  lives of plants and animals.
• For PlantWatch this is when a plant flowers as
  the weather warms in the spring.

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What is PlantWatch?

• The goal of PlantWatch is to encourage Canadians
  to help scientists find out how our natural
  environment is changing due to changes in
  climate.
• We can get involved with this project by
  recording flowering times for selected plant
  species and reporting data.

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Why watch plants?

• By watching plants you can learn about Canadas
  botanical diversity and help scientists track the
  effects of global warming and climate change.
• Plants are measuring sticks for climate change.

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Climate Change

• Globally the earths temperature has risen 1oC.
• Predicted temperature increase of 3-4oC in the
  Atlantic Provinces.
• Winter freeze-thaw events becoming more frequent.
• Precipitation (including snowfall) is expected to
  increase.

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Why watch plants?

• The plants chosen for PlantWatch bloom in the
  spring as they accumulate heat (when the
  temperature rises).
• Some of the species are flowering a month
  earlier than they were a century ago.

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Why watch plants?

• Reporting on PlantWatch species in your community
  can help researchers discover how the climate is
  changing.
• Any contribution you can make is important.

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How to get involved

• Climate is changing and we need to monitor these
  changes.
• We need more PlantWatchers in Newfoundland and
  Labrador!
• Anyone can become a PlantWatch participant!
• Its an excellent activity for families,
  classrooms and outdoor groups.

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How to PlantWatch

• Choose your plants
• Use the PlantWatch website (www.plantwatch.ca) or
  the PlantWatch guide to find out what plants are
  being watched in your area.
• Be sure to select plants that you can observe
  everyday.

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How to PlantWatch

• 2. Select your site
• Choose plants growing in an easy to access, flat
  area.
• Avoid sites with unusual temperature or light
  conditions.

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How to PlantWatch

• 3. Mark your territory
• Mark the plant (or patch of plants) with a tag.

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How to PlantWatch

• 4. Watch your plants
• Read the species descriptions on the PlantWatch
  website or in the guide to help you recognize
  first bloom and mid bloom and leaf out.
• Record the dates for each.

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How to PlantWatch

• 5. Submit your observations
• Submit observations directly on the website.
• or
• Mail the data sheet to the PlantWatch Coordinator
  for Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Species selected for Newfoundland and Labrador
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Crackerberry
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Crackerberry

• General
• It is a low, erect woodland plant
• (10 cm tall), that grows in colonies.
• Leaves and twigs
• Smooth edged, oval leaves with parallel veins.
• Four to six leaves form a ring around the stem.
• Flowers and fruit
• Each plant has a single cluster with four showy
  bracts that look like petals.
• In the center are tiny flowers that are green or
  purple or cream in color.
• The fruit are red berries.

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Crackerberry

• Habitat
• A forest plant, crackerberry tolerates a variety
  of soil conditions.
• When the flowers are open, black central dots are
  visible (stigmas).
• First Bloom when the first flowers are open.
• Mid bloom when 50 of flowers are open in
  observed plants.

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Dandelion
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Dandelion

• General
• Common plant, 5-40 cm tall. Introduced from
  Europe.
• Leaves and twigs
• Deeply toothed leaves grow from the base of the
  plant.
• Leaves appear before flowers.

R. Hopkins
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Dandelion

• Flowers and fruit
• Flower heads are yellow and the flower stem is
  hollow and leafless.
• After full bloom, white, fluffy, round balls of
  seeds appear. The parachuted seeds are blown away
  by the wind.
• Main flowering is in spring, but scattered blooms
  continue all summer.
• Note flowers close at night and on cloudy days.

R. Hopkins
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Dandelion

• Habitat
• Dandelions grow almost anywhere, but are common
  in wastelands and cultivated areas.
• Sampling
• Make sure your patch is not mowed until your
  bloom observations are made.
• Choose plants at least 10 m away from buildings.
• First Bloom when first flowers are open.
• Mid bloom When the first seed-head opens,
  forming a white, fluffy ball of seeds.

R. Hopkins
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Labrador Tea
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Labrador Tea

• General
• Erect evergreen shrub, up to 1 m tall
• Leaves and twigs
• Leathery, narrow, oblong leaves (2-5 cm
• Long) with matted hairs on the underside.
• The edges of the leaves roll under to
• help retain moisture.
• Twigs are densely covered with hairs.

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Labrador Tea

• Flowers and fruit
• Five-petalled, white flowers, occur in rounded
  clusters at the branch tips.
• Habitat
• Shade-intolerant and often found on moist to wet
  soils.
• Common on open peatland dominated by sphagnum
  moss and in open-canopy coniferous forests.

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Labrador Tea

• Sampling
• Select a typical patch of plants, if the plants
  are very abundant, mark off a l-metre-square
  section to observe.
• First bloom when the first flowers are open in
  the observed plants (3 places).
• Mid bloom when 50 of the flowers are open in
  the observed plants.

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Larch
R. Hopkins
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Larch

• General
• Medium-sized coniferous tree grows up to 20 m
  tall, with scaly bark.
• In the fall, the needles turn yellow and drop.
• Leaves and twigs
• The long, slender branches have small woody
  stumps that produce the needle bundles.
• Needles, 1-2.5 cm long, emerge as soft green
  tufts during spring growth. Each tuft can have
  10-20 needles.

R. Hopkins
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Larch

• Flowers and fruit
• Male and female cones can appear on the same
  branch.
• Male cones small mounds of yellow-brown pollen
  sacs that fall after shedding pollen
• Female cones pinkish-purple mini-cones about 1
  cm long.
• Note Observe male cones only for PlantWatch.

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Larch

• Habitat
• Grows in moist to wet areas.
• First Bloom when first pollen is being shed by
  the male cones (3 places).
• Mid bloom When 50 of the male cones are
  shedding pollen.
• Leaf out When the tufts of the needles are
  lengthening and starting to spread open at the
  tip ( 3 places).

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Red Maple
?
?
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Red Maple

• General
• Deciduous tree with grey bark. Flowers appear
  before leaves.
• Leaves and twigs
• Twigs are slender, shiny and dark red with
  whitish dots.
• Leaf buds are rounded, dark red-wine in colour.
• Leaves are red-tinged in the spring, green in
  summer and bright red in the fall.

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Red Maple

• Flowers and fruit
• Flowers emerge from dark red buds in the spring.
• Male and female flowers usually grow on different
  branches of the same tree.
• Female flowers are red while male flowers are
  yellowish green.
• Note only observe male flowers for plant watch.

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Red Maple

• Habitat
• Trees are usually found in swamps and moist
  soils.
• Moderately shade tolerant and they also grow in
  dry areas.
• First Bloom when the first male flowers are open
  (3 places).
• Mid bloom when 50 of flowers are open.
• Leafing when the first leaves push out of the
  bud and unfold completely (3 places)

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NL PlantWatch Observation Form
Kimberley Parsons
2005
33 Lakeside Drive, Deer Lake NL.
A0K 2E0
[phone]
kparsons_at_mun.ca
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NL PlantWatch Observation Form
Route 430 N
NW of Deer Lake
49o 10 57o26
NW of Route 430/TCH
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NL PlantWatch Observation Form
May 6
May 12
1, 5W, 7, 12, 19
May 26
June 3
2, 5SW, 7, 11, 16
May 20
May 26
June 6
1, 5NW, 7, 10, 16
June 10
June 24
2, 6NW ,7, 11, 16
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Thank you PlantWatchers!

• Any Questions?
• Please take PlantWatch package (forms,
  newsletters and guides) on your way out.
• Dont forget to visit the websites
  www.plantwatch.ca and http//www.mun.ca/botgarden/
  plant_bio/PW/

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Is spring coming early this year? Help us find
out!
HAPPY WATCHING!