Tucson Audubon Society Living With Nature Series Tracking

Tucson Audubon Society Living With Nature Series Tracking Seasonal Patterns in the Sonoran Desert Alyssa Rosemartin SNRE, University of Arizona Assistant Director & IT Coordinator for USA-NPN

May Larrea tridentata - Creosote

June White-winged dove and Lesser long-nosed bat Carnegiea gigantea Saguaro

July Prosopis veluntina Velvet mesquite

August Punica granatum Pomegranate

September Several Opuntia species Prickly Pear Cactus

October Cucurbita digitata Coyote gourd

November Simmondsia chinensis Jojoba

December Citrus x paradisi Grapefruit

January Carya illinoinensis Pecan

February Phoradendron californicum Desert mistletoe Phainopepla

March Eschscholzia californica California poppy

April Cirsium arizonicum Arizona thistle Lesser goldfinch

Why do we see these patterns? Ø Something in the environment triggers plants to put on leaves, flowers and fruits, could be: Ø Rainfall Ø Temperature Ø Day length Ø Soil moisture Ø Climate change is already changing rainfall and temps around the country – how is it impacting the plants and animals here? Ø So, let’s look at our current patterns…

Sunlight and warmth Tucson, Arizona Washington DC

Rain and humidity Tucson, Arizona Washington DC

Variation in space

Variation in time

Predicting later flowering with warmer May temps Species: Baccharis pilularis (Coyotebrush) Site means reported from sites across California : GOGA-(15 sites), REDW-(5 sites), SAMO-(8 sites) Climate data obtained from PRISM website: prismmap. nacse. org/nn/ 2012: Onset of Open Flowers Prediction for Baccharis pilularis : Warmer temperatures should result in delayed flowering. Slide courtesy of Susan Mazer R 2 = 0. 67 y = 4. 77 x + 162. 4 p < 0. 0001 N=18 sites

A multi-taxa, national-scale Plant and animal phenology observation program • • Standardized protocols Web and mobile apps for data entry Data download and visualization 3, 000 observers reporting on 650 plant and 250 animal species Nature’s Notebook is for scientists, naturalists, volunteers, land managers, park rangers, and YOU! Photo credit: L. Barnett Nature’s Notebook

Do you see… fruit? One or more fruits are visible on the plant.

Do you see… ripe fruit? One or more fruits are visible on the plant.

Do you see… fruit/ripe fruit? One or more fruits are visible on the plant. Yes for fruit No for ripe fruit Fruit: For Acer rubrum, the fruit is two joined seeds in a "V" shape, each seed having a wing, that changes from green or red to tan or brownish and drops from the plant‘ Ripe Fruit: or Acer rubrum, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned tan or brownish and readily drops from the plant when touched

Getting started in Nature’s Notebook https: //www. usanpn. org/user/register

Getting started in Nature’s Notebook

Nature’s Notebook mobile apps Free for Android and i. Phone devices Works without internet/data coverage

Map, animate and graph data Poll www. usanpn. org/data/visualizations

Phenology trails A phenology trail is a network of Nature’s Notebook observation sites, which usually share species, a research and engagement goals. Photo credit: L. Barnett

Tucson Phenology Trail Includes sites at: • Oracle State Park • Biosphere 2 • Tucson Audubon Mason Center • University of Arizona Campus • Tucson Botanical Garden • Agua Caliente Park • Sweetwater Wetlands • Pima Extension Offices • Santa Rita Experimental Range • Several neighborhood associations and schools.

Tucson Audubon Mason Center Looking for a team of volunteers to collect phenology data throughout the year Contact Bete Jones bjones@tucsonaudubon. org 520 -209 -1812

Ways to get involved Ø Observe plant and animal phenology with Nature’s Notebook Ø Join the Tucson Phenology Trail – Mason Center site Ø Volunteer harvesting fruit with Iskashitaa Ø Keep a yard or garden journal or photo log Ø Take a Master Gardener class

Thank you! Alyssa Rosemartin alyssa@usanpn. org

USA National Phenology Network Primary goal • Understand how plants, animals & landscapes respond to climatic variation and change. • Create a standardized dataset to support research. A NATIONAL NETWORK OF INTEGRATED PHENOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS ACROSS SPACE AND TIME. Mission • Make phenology data, models and related information available to scientists, resource managers and the public. • Encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to observe and record phenology. Photo credit: C. Enquist

Why do we care about phenology? Flu season Wildfires Festivals Invasions Ecotourism Allergies Agriculture Slide courtesy of S. Mazer Pests & Diseases

Observing change over time I observed an unusual circumstance this spring on the foothill of Moscow Mountain, northern Idaho, elev. 3000‘. I have been monitoring the arrival of hummers for many years here--they range in arrival from early to late April. Usually the Calliope is first, followed by the Rufous. Over the last few years, the Rufous have been either arriving at the same time or before the Calliope. This year the two were nearly simultaneous on Apr. 23. About a week later I spotted the Black Chinned --usually not often seen, and never before late June/July (followed in late summer by the Broadtailed).

Structuring observations April 23, 2012

Comparing regionally

Phenology in the Tucson Basin Proportion of positive reports for flowering (top) and leafing (bottom) by month (Nov 2012 -Oct 2013), and rainfall events in inches from the Historic Climate Network. 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% March April May June July August Sept Oct