Key database
monitoring climate change received its one-millionth report from a network of
"citizen scientists"
On
April 30, 2012, the USA National Phenology Network (NPN), partially funded by
the National Science Foundation (NSF), received its one-millionth nature
observation from volunteers--many of whom are non-scientists or "citizen
scientists." The observation will help understand the impacts of climate
change on Earth's plants and animals.
Scientists
and citizen volunteers contribute individual bits of data to NPN daily
concerning phenology, the study of the timing of plant and animal
responses--such as leafing, flowering, nesting, foliage changes, hibernation
and migration--to seasonal changes.
Resource
managers combine the data into an increasingly detailed record of how Earth's
climate is evolving and how it might affect humans and Mother Nature down the
road.
Hitting
the one-millionth observation is exciting because researchers and
decision-makers need more information to understand and respond to our rapidly
changing planet," said Jake Weltzin, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist
and executive director of NPN. "More information means better-informed
decisions that ensure the continued vitality of our natural areas that we all
depend on--and enjoy."
One millionth
observation
Watching
and reporting the flowering of a nearby vine maple, Acer circinatum, turned
into the millionth observation submitted through NPN's online observation
program, Nature's Notebook. Lucille Tower, an amateur scientist from Portland,
Ore. submitted the record.
"Tower
responded "yes" to the question on the NPN's observation submission
form: "Did you see: One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower
buds visible in the plant?" The record marked a precisely defined point in
the life cycle of the vine maple, something that researchers observe while
monitoring how climate change affects the start and end point of a plant's
viability.
"We're
excited about the quantity of observations and what it means for potentially
answering the big questions," said Alyssa Rosemartin, NPN's assistant
director.
"Our
first records in the contemporary system are from Erin Lindquist, a professor
at Meredith College, whose students collected thousands of records on deciduous
tree phenology in North Carolina in the fall of 2008, and the millionth was
submitted by a participant in Portland Budwatch, one of our partners that has
set up several phenology trails and trained 100 observers in Portland. Look how
far we've come."
Societal and
economic benefits
The
NPN provides a myriad of societal benefits by, for example, supporting the
development of more accurate forecasts of the onset of allergy seasons; the
spread of vector-borne diseases, such as lyme disease and West Nile virus; the
movements of invasive plants; the development of drought
conditions--information that could be used to help improve the health and
welfare of large human populations, contribute to the management of water
resources, wildlife and working farms and ranches, and maintain the vitality of
ecosystems.
Weltzin
says the NPN database also supports analyses of climate-change impacts that
have important potential economic implications. Several examples:
•NPN
data is currently being used to help determine the chances of costly and
destructive western wildfires.
•The
NPN recently established an Interagency Agreement with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration to study patterns and trends occurring in the
oceans, which could have profound implications for the multi-million-dollar
U.S. fishing industry.
•Pollination
by native insects currently contributes more than $3 billion in agricultural
crops each year. But climate-driven changes in the phenology of crops and
native insects could change the effectiveness of insect pollination--for better
or worse. NPN volunteers are currently observing insect and crop phenology
together and thereby contributing to our understanding of related changes and
helping to ensure the viability of crops across the United States.
•NPN
volunteers are currently tracking the leafing of sugar maple trees, which could
contribute to improved predictions of sap runs and ultimately the production of
maple syrup, which is important not only to pancake lovers but also to the
economy of the New York/New England region.
Increasing
the application of nature observations to economic analyses is a goal of the
NPN, and citizen scientists have more than been up to the job. "Depending
on the task at hand, trained non-scientists can produce data that is just as
reliable as data produced by (professional) scientists," said Weltzin.
Steps in the
journey
In
addition to producing high quality data, armies of NPN volunteers also produce
a high quantity of data. The NPN typically receives between 2,000 and 3,000
nature observations per day-most of which would otherwise be unobtainable.
Weltzin
said that each and every one of these observations is important because they
help fill a hole in our knowledge base. Moreover, a single observation can be
analyzed in tandem with other observations to help create the big picture of
how a particular species is responding to climate changes.
Suppose,
for example, that several volunteers in a certain geographic area each alert
the NPN as to the first bloom date of a dogwood tree in the spring. Those
individual observations could then be analyzed as a group to determine the
pattern of dogwood blooms in the area.
"So
much of our improved understanding about global environmental changes is driven
by varied and valuable sources of information that include ambitious networks
of citizen-scientists," said John Wingfield, NSF assistant director for
Biological Sciences. "Knowledge gained from their dedicated work will
continue to have a lasting effect on how we understand regularly recurring biological
phenomena for hundreds of plant and animal species and collectively, they
contribute to the policy arena."
Changing seasons
Changes
in phenology are among the most sensitive biological indicators of global
change. Across the world, many springtime events are occurring earlier--and
fall events happening later--than in the past. Plants and animals are
responding to these changes in different ways and at different speeds. These
varying responses can be damaging to the life-sustaining relationships among
creatures that have been dynamically stable for thousands of years.
For
example, some wildflowers that migratory hummingbirds look for when they arrive
in their summer habitats are flowering earlier--even before the hummingbirds
arrive. The resulting missed opportunity with the flowers can deprive the birds
of an important food source. If the trend continues, populations of
hummingbirds and wildflowers could precipitously decline. In addition, some birds now remain year-round
in their summer habitats instead of flying south for the winter.
Because
of these types of changes, scientists need more and improved information about
the pace and pattern of nature--locally to nationally--to answer important
scientific and societal questions and to build the tools and models needed to
help people understand and adapt to the changes at hand.
Individuals
of all ages, from school children to retirees, as well as entire classes and
community groups, are invited to join the NPN "army" of citizen
scientists; no minimal level of commitment is required. Some volunteers submit
their observations on a regular basis while others contribute occasionally, or
even contribute valuable archived "shoeboxed" records that, when
possible, are added to the NPN database to support analyses of long-term
trends.
What could be in
it for you?
Weltzin
said that volunteers contribute to the NPN for varied reasons, including the
opportunity to:
•Support
the environmental field and the advancement of science.
•Receive
feedback from scientists about how the data they collected is being used and
helping to advance science.
•Put
to good use "shoe box" data that they have previously collected about
seasonal phenomena.
•Interact
via various social media forums sponsored by NPN with non-scientists who share
similar interests.
•Connect
with fellow scientists who have overlapping research interests and resources to
share with colleagues in their field.
•Use
the NPN Web site to announce events, news items and festivals that would
interest NPN volunteers.
-- Lily
Whiteman, (703) 292-8070 lwhitema@nsf.gov
Investigators
Susan
Mazer
Jake
Weltzin
Mark
Schwartz
Related
Institutions/Organizations
University
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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