Current Phenology Projects
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Native Species Monitoring
Monitoring native species builds long-term datasets that allow researchers to track the impact of climate change. Native species monitoring also provides opportunities for education about the relationship between climate and plants, and plants and their dependent animals. The NYPP Network has created plant profiles for the 35 species we monitor, found on our Meet the Species page, that can be used to identify the phenophases of the native plants in your area.
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Pollinator Monitoring
Targeting pollinator monitoring can inform field management practices and provide researchers with information about potential nectar gaps and host plants that affect pollinator success. One way to get involved with pollinator monitoring is by joining USA-NPN's Nectar Connectors Campaign which focuses on flowering times of nectar sources for migrating pollinators such as monarchs. Adding host plants to routine observations can also aid in building long-term datasets.
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Achillea millefolium – Common yarrow
Asclepias incarnata - Swamp milkweed
Asclepias syriaca - Common milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly milkweed
Echinacea purpurea - Purple coneflower
Liatris spicata- Dense blazing star
Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal flower
Monarda fistulosa - Wild bergamot
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae – New England aster
Vernonia noveboracensis - New York ironweed
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Jerry A. Payne, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Invasive Species Monitoring
Identifying and observing invasive species at monitoring sites provides data that is essential for the development of invasive species management programs. One specific way to get involved is by joining USA-NPN's Shady Invaders Campaign, an effort to determine the impact of invasive shrubs on regional forest ecosystems. Another way to get involved is to add known invasive species to routine observations. Examples include:
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Berberis thunbergii - Japanese barberry
Lonicera maackii - Amur honeysuckle
Rosa multiflora - multiflora rose
Euonymus alatus - burningbush
Lonicera morrowii - Morrow's honeysuckle
Lonicera tatarica - Tatarian honeysuckle
Pheno-Sync Monitoring
The mission of pheno-sync monitoring is to provide a targeted paired species list and strategy for monitoring sites that are interested in tracking the synchronicity of species interactions. We are primarily focused on plants and pollinators but are interested in other key plant-animal relationships in the Northeast as well. For example, hemlock and hemlock wooly adelgid are an important pair to track for management purposes. We are working closely with USA-NPN to add key species to the national species list that are not currently listed and explore the protocols capable of collecting relevant data and visualizing species interactions given the disparities between plant and animal observation protocols.
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More information coming soon!
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Richard Webb, Bugwood.org