GLOBE Plant Phenology

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GLOBE Plant Phenology
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Phenology

• Phenology is the study of living organisms
  response to seasonal and climatic changes in
  their environment.
• Seasonal changes include variations in day length
  or duration of sunlight, precipitation, and
  temperature.

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Plant Phenology

• Plant growing season generally corresponds to the
  period between green-up and green-down.
• Growing season directly related to global carbon
  fixation and the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
• Timing of green-up and green-down is important
  for understanding the global water cycle. As
  plants photosynthesize, they also transpire water
  from the soil into the atmosphere

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Phenology

• Green-up and green-down data are used to examine
• regional and global vegetation patterns
• year-to-year trends
• vegetation responses to climate change
• wild fire danger
• animal migrations

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Phenology

• Uses of Phenology Measurements
• Estimates of greenness values from remote sensing
  data vary because of problems from atmospheric
  properties, sun angle, aging of satellite
  detectors.
• GLOBE ground-based observations will help
  scientists validate estimates of growing seasons.

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Increase in plant growing season length according
to remotely sensed data
Myneni,R.B. et.al. 1997. Nature, 386, 698-702.
Theres a need for ground observations/data.
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Plant PhenologyProtocols

• Budburst
• Green-up
• Green-down

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PhenologyBudburst

• Observe trees, twice weekly, starting at least
  two weeks before initial budburst.
• Report date of budburst when you see leaves
  breaking out of the buds in three different
  branches of each tree.

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PhenologyGreen-up andGreen-down

• Observe buds and report dates of green-up stages
  and leaf growth, twice weekly, starting at least
  two weeks before initial budburst .
• Measure leaf blade length until length stops
  increasing.
• Observe leaves twice weekly, starting two weeks
  before initial green-down
• Report dates of green-down color changes until
  leaf color change is complete or leaves fall off.

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Plant Phenology Green-down
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Plant PhenologyLearning Activities

• A First Look at Phenology
• Sneak Preview of Budburst
• A Beginning Look at Photosynthesis
• Investigating Leaf Pigments
• 2 inquiry Learning Activities on our website
• www.uaf.edu/olcg

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Plant PhenologyData Reporting

• 77 schools in 11 countries
• 18 states in the US
• AK (34) and NY (6 schools)

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Phenology Green-up Green-down Site Selection

• Select deciduous native trees, shrubs or grasses.
• Choose dominant over-story species
• Avoid sites near buildings or where watering or
  fertilization is done
• If possible, choose a location close to the
  Atmosphere and Soil Moisture Study Sites
• Keep the elevation difference less than 100
  meters

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Why do Plant Phenology in schools?

• Supports understanding of big concepts in science
  such as systems and cycles
• Protocols and L.A. are aligned with science and
  math education standards
• Easy to fit in school day schedule because of
  short time required for measurements/observations
• Inexpensive equipment, i.e. ruler, color chart
  majority of students are already equipped with
  remote sensing equipment of eyes and touch
• Offers many opportunities for student science
  investigations and cross-curricular integration
  

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Phenology Field Campaign

• Research Question
• Can we observe differences in plant phenology
  (for same species) along an urban to rural
  gradient?

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Phenology

• Green-Up and Green-Down Site Selection
• Select deciduous trees, shrubs or grasses.
• Choose dominant over-story species - Green-up and
  green-down data from satellites are affected
  predominantly by these dominant species
• If over-story plants are evergreen conifers, use
  under-story broadleaf trees or shrubs
• Try to use the same plants for green-up and
  green-down

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Phenology

• Green-Up and Green-Down Site Selection
• If possible, choose a location close to the
  Atmosphere and Soil Moisture Study Sites
• Local topography can cause weather to vary even
  within short distances
• Keep the horizontal distance between Phenology
  and Atmosphere and Soil Moisture Study Sites less
  than 2 kilometers
• Keep the elevation difference less than 100 meters

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Some Deciduous species in Alaska

• Quaking aspen Paper birch
  Black cottonwood
• Populus tremuloides Betula papyrifera
  Populus trichocarpa