Tetlin LMRD/NPN Phenol ogy M onit ori ng Pil ot P rogram PHENOLOGY - The study of periodic plant and life cycle stages and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate. For this presentation we use the term phenology for biological events, and the term seasonality for non-biological events. PHENOPHASE An observable stage or phase in the annual life cyypcle of a plant or animal that can be defined b y a start and end point. Phenophases generally have a duration of a few days or weeks.

For birds, examples include migg,ration, territoriality, reproduction, and molt. PHENOLOGICAL EVENT A precisely defined point in the annual life cycle of a plant or animal, generally marking the start or end point of a phenophase. Some examples include the opening of the first flower on a plant, the end of leaf fall on a tree, the first appearance of a particular landbird in spring, or the start of fish migration up-river to spawn.

©David Shaw Why Monitor Phenology

Phenological data aids in the management of natural resources

Manyyp phenolo gical events are extremely sensitive to climate change

WdhlildtlWe need phenological data over large spatial scales to predict the impact of ppghenological shifts on ecos ystems Tetlin NWR Legacy Data Sets

NA Migration Count Waterfowl Pair Counts, Brood Survey Raptor Occupancy and Productivity Surveys Spring and Fall Migration Stations, MAPS First Arrival Data, Spring Phenology Survey CCtitize n Sc Sceceience Sample sites ( ) chosen for monitoring phenology Criteria for Selectinggp Animal Species

I. Characteristic required of all monitored species

– Current knowledge about the species’ natural history

II. Characteristics required of species to be monitored by beginning citizen scientists

– Ease of identification – Ease of observation and data collection – Relative abundance

III. Op tiona l bu t des ira ble c harac ter is tics o f mon itore d spec ies Partial list of animal species currently recommended for phenology monitoring by the USA National Phenology Network.

Amphibians –Barred Tiger Salamander Ambystoma mavortium –American Toad Anaxyrus americanus –Woodhouse's Toad Anaxyrus woodhousii –Cascades Frog Lithobates cascadae –Northern Leopard Frog Lithobates pipiens –Wood Frog Lithobates sylvaticus* –Couch's Spadefoot Scaphiopus couchii –Northern Pacific Treefrog Pseudacris regilla –Plains Spadefoot Spea bombifrons –Rough-skinned Newt Taricha granulosa

Birds –Brant Branta bernicla* –American Goldfinch Carduelis tristis –Killdeer Charadrius vociferus* –Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi* –Common Loon Gavia immer* –Osprey Pandion haliaetus* –Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota* –Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea –Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus* –American Robin Turdus migratorius*

– Common Green Darner Anax junius – A common bumble bee Bombus impatiens or other* – Calopteryx maculata – Spring azures Celastrina lucia, ladon, idella* – Punctured Tiger punctulata – Six-spotted Cicindela sexguttata – Seaside Dragonlet Erythrodiplax berenice – Tent Caterpillar Malacosoma americana, M. californica – Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia – Bicolored Sallow Sunira bicolorago

Mammals

– White-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys leucurus – Yellow-bellied Marmot Marmota flaviventris – Woodchuck Marmota monax* – Northern Elephant Seal Mirounggga angustirostris* – Mule Deer Odocoileus hemionus – White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus – Bighorn Sheep Ovis canadensis – Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus – Townsend's Chipmunk Tamias townsendii Animal species selected for pilot program

Amphibians – Wood frog - Rana sylvatica Birds – Horned Grebe - Podiceps auritus* – Lesser Yellowlegs - Tringa flavipes* – American Robin - Turdus migratorius – Wilson's Warbler - Wilsonia pusilla – Dark-eyed Junco - Junco hyemalis – Rusty Blackbird - Euphagus carolinus * ©David Shaw Insects – A common bumble bee Bombus impatiens or other – Canadian Swallow Tail - Papilio canadensis – Four-spotted Skimmer - Libellula quadrimaculata Mammals – RdRed squ irre l – TiTamiasc iurus hdihudsonicus Plant species selected for pilot program

• Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)

• Dfbih(Dwarf birch (BtlBetula nana)

• Alder (Alnus viridis)

• Bog blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum)

• Fireweed (Chamerion angustiifolium) Phenophases

Four-spotted Skimmer - Libellula quadrimaculata DtDate Time Do you see…? Site y n Active adults? y n ? y n ? ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n Mating? y n ? y n ? ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n E?Emergence? y n ? y n ? ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n Dead Adult? y n ? y n ? ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? Comments (weather, relative abundance, herbivory, anything else of note) Mark date and site next to each comment. Phenophases

Observer: Tetlin Refuge - Upper Tanana Valley ______

American Robin - Turdus migratorius

Date

Time

Do you see…? Site

Adu lt bi rd s? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ?

Singing male y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ?

Nest building y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ?

Incubation y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ?

Nest with egg(s) y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ?

Nest with young y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ?

Nestlings being fed y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ?

Adult feeding fledged yng y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ? y n ?

Comments (weather, relative abundance, herbivory, anything else of note) Mark date and site next to each comment. Methods

– Select site(s)

– RdtdtfhitRecord metadata for each site

– Select species and individual plants

– Select animal species

– Observe phenophases

– Record observations Advantages of working with LMRD/NPN •Data scales up •A lototote of the w ork i sdoeoyous done for you •Learn from other efforts •Data management

Bud Johnson Abe Miller-Rushing LMRD Biologist Coordinator, Wildlife Phenology Program Tetlin NWR USA National Phenology Network P.O. Box 779 The University of Arizona Tok, AK 99780 1955 E 6th Street 907-883-9407 Tucson, AZ 85719 [email protected] [email protected] http://www.usanpn.org Qti?Questions?