Print PageSpecies phenology is acknowledged widely as a key indicator of the response of biota to rapidly changing climate. Agencies, organizations, and the public throughout the nation have become aware of the importance of observing phenology and look to the USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) for guidance toward selecting appropriate species to develop a phenological monitoring program. The National Coordinating Office (NCO) of the USA-NPN has promoted the use of systematic criterion in selecting species. In 2010, the NCO presented phenophase definitions and species profiles for over 250 plant and 60 animal species through a user-friendly web interface as part of their program Nature’s Notebook. These initial species were chosen using biological and ecological criteria, geographical and micro-site considerations, educational goals, and human-use factors. To best connect observations from on-the-ground tracking of plant and animal phenology and the resulting derived metrics with high-level indicators of climate change, a phenology program should be able to describe the relationship of the targeted species to an articulated science need or question relating to climate change.
Results/Conclusions
The California Phenology Project (CPP), funded by the National Park Service, is facilitating the implementation of a phenology monitoring program in 19 NPS units within California (www.usanpn.org/cpp). The CPP planning team, in collaboration with the NCO and U of California Santa Barbara, developed a process to articulate project science questions related to climate change as well as resource management and education and outreach. In addition, the CPP planning team is engaging a broad community of park staff and regional plant experts to select plant species for monitoring across three major bioregions in CA. This species selection process serves as a good example of how the selected plants can represent a variety of selection criteria including linkage to climate-change related questions derived from current and anticipated management needs at the park units. In addition, the process encourages wide participation and engagement of the resource inventory and monitoring, and interpretive staff of the parks, and interested scientists within designated bioregions.
