Engaging Citizen-Scientist Participation in the USA National Phenology Network
Project Chief: George R. Kish
Cooperator: USA National Phenology Network, Ecosystems Mission Area
Period of Project: October 2009 - September 2012
Problem Statement
Figure 1. Phenology observer locations in Florida in the USA National Phenology Network.
Climatic variability influences ecosystem diversity, ecosystem susceptibility to droughts, floods and exotic biological invasions, forestry and agriculture, and human health. Accurate estimates of phenological variation play a key role in terrestrial ecosystem and climate modeling. Climate change projections for the southeastern U.S. indicate future periods of warmer summer maximum temperatures, higher evapotranspiration, and more intense rainfall periods with longer dry periods between rainfall periods.
Understanding the relation between plant and animal phenology and climate will assist resource managers with the prediction of forest pests and disease outbreaks, fire management, invasive species management, watershed management, and the development of strategies for species adaptation and ecosystem conservation. An important component of understanding the relation between phenology and climate is the availability of accurate phenology observations over wide geographic areas. Phenology observations are well-suited to citizen-science observation. The unique combination of a national data structure (USA National Phenology Network), diverse groups of potential observers (Florida Extension Master Gardeners, Florida Audubon, Florida Native Plant Society, botanical gardens, and nature education centers), and locally available expertise affords Florida the opportunity to establish a spatially diverse network of well-trained citizen scientists providing important phenology data about the timing of southeastern ecosystem processes.
Objectives
1) Convene a workshop for scientists, academic faculty, Florida extension offices, and non-profit groups to establish phenological observation goals, species lists and taxa for integrating research and citizen-science programs in Florida
2) Develop partnerships, data storage links, and quality assurance criteria to facilitate citizen- science participation in the USA-NPN
3) Select and establish phenology observation sites and facilitate training at U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s National Wildlife Refuges, selected outdoor education centers, botanical gardens, and Florida Extension sites
Approach
Extensive evaluation of species appropriate for inclusion in Florida’s phenology network was determined through the partnership of ecologists and biologists from Florida’s academic institutions, and county, state and federal agencies. Criteria for selection included 1) territorial range beyond Florida to include the Southeast or Eastern U.S., 2) ease of species and phenophase identification, and 3) distinct annual phenophase.
Engaging participation in the USA National Phenology Network required extensive outreach programs to introduce phenology concepts to potential observers and to train observers to identify species and phenophases and to use Nature’s Notebook for data quality and data entry and retrieval.
Results
The Florida Phenology Workshop was held in May 2009 in Gainesville, Florida to design a Florida citizen scientist component for the USGS Southeastern Regional Phenology Network. Government, university, and non-profit groups, representing most plant and animal taxonomic groups of interest to Florida, participated in developing data entry protocols, quality assurance criteria, educational modules for phenophase recognition, and a research agenda.
A total of 15 workshops have been delivered to Florida extension offices, environmental education centers, the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and non-profit organizations. In 2011, the number of new observers from Florida registered with the USA National Phenology Network more than doubled from 53 to 117 (fig. 1).
Species of significance to the Southeast have been vetted and added to the USA National Phenology Network database. A Fact Sheet about hydrology and phenology was published and a summary of the Florida phenology workshop was published by the Ecological Society of America.
Information Product
Kish, G.R., 2010, Hydrology, phenology and the USA National Phenology Network: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2010-3083 (September 2010)
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
