1. Understanding seasonal and long-term changes around us through PHENOLOGY Nature’s rhythms: LoriAnne Barnett Education Coordinator

2. Important things we’ll discuss today: What is PHENOLOGY What are plant and animal life cycles? What do we know about seasonal changes in the desert? Why do we have certain plants and animals here? What can Nature’s Notebook help us understand?

3. What’s Phenology Phenology refers to recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, such as leafing and flowering, maturation of agricultural plants, emergence of insects, and migration of birds. It is also the study of these seasonal changes, especially their timing and relationships with weather and climate.

4. http://ed.ted.com/lessons/phenology-and-nature-s-shifting-rhythms-regina-brinker

5. What do I know about …

6. Photo credit: L. Barnett

10. -Mark Twain Climate Long-term average of daily weather in a given area. The average annual rainfall in Phoenix, AZ is ~8.0 inches. The average July high temp is 106°F. December is the average coolest month at 44-66°F. Weather Day-to-day changes in the Earth’s atmosphere. It rained last Thursday. There was a hard frost on January 15 in Tucson. Sunday will be sunny and 96°F. It is all about time …

11. Why is climate important to ecology? Climate drives what occurs where, what lives where, and how those species respond to their environment.

12. Distribution Abundance

13. BIOMES –World’s Major Communities Classified by major vegetation, adaptations to environment Aquatic Grassland Desert Forest Tundra

14. http://alliance.la.asu.edu/maps/AZ_biomes_web.pdf Life Zones

15. Acer rubrum (red maple); Photo credit: D. Hartel Observing the same individual through the seasons

16. PLANT LIFE CYCLE GREEN GROWTH Requires Optimum Conditions

17. PLANT LIFE CYCLE FLOWER Requires Optimum Conditions

18. PLANT LIFE CYCLE SET SEED Requires Optimum Conditions

19. American kestrel Falco sparverius ©Wikimedia Commons Active

20. Complete Pupa INSECT www.askabiologist.asu.edu LARVA PUPA ADULT

21. Reproduction Development Method Activity ANIMAL >> Mammal, Bird, Snake, Insect Flowers Fruits Leaves PLANT Observable life cycle events or PHENOPHASES

22. U NDERSTAND HOW SPECIES AND LANDSCAPES ARE RESPONDING TO CLIMATE CHANGE. Primary goal Create a standardized, long-term dataset for use in multiple types of research. Mission Make phenology data, models and related information available. Encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to observe and record phenology. Photo credit: C. Enquist

23. Photo credit: L. Romano

24. Method Activity ANIMAL  Active individuals  Feeding  Individuals at a feeding station Flowers Fruits Leaves  Leaves  Colored leaves  Open flowers  Recent seed or fruit drop PLANT PHENOPHASES

26. Leaves Flowers Fruits Gambel Oak

27. Acorn Woodpecker Photo from All About Birds

28. Breaking leaf buds Leaves Increasing leaf size Colored leaves Flowers or Flower Buds Open Flowers FruitsRipe Fruits Recent fruit or seed drop DECIDUOUS PLANT PHENOPHASES

29. Create a Nature’s Notebook phenology monitoring project!

30. ①Saguaro ②Candy barrel cactus ③Buck-horn cholla ④Tree cholla ⑤Velvet Mesquite ⑥Yellow paloverde ⑦Desert ironwood ⑧Brittlebush ⑨Beavertail pricklypear

31. Photo credit: L. Barnett

32. Nature Journal Worksheet

33. Important things we’ll discuss today: What is PHENOLOGY What are plant and animal life cycles? What do we know about seasonal changes in the desert? Why do we have certain plants and animals here? What can Nature’s Notebook help us understand?

34. Connect with USA-NPN… Sign up for a phenology quarterly e-newsletter Become an observer Discover new tools and resources LoriAnne Barnett lorianne@usanpn.org www.facebook.com/USANPN www.pinterest.com/USANPN www.twitter.com/@loriannebarnett