USA‐NPN Technical Series 2012‐001 USA National Phenology Network 2011 Data & Participant Summary Jherime L. Kellermann1, Theresa M. Crimmins2, Ellen G. Denny3, Carolyn A.F. Enquist4, R. Lee Marsh5, Alyssa H. Rosemartin6, Jake F. Weltzin7 1Technical Research Associate, USA‐NPN National Coordinating Office; University of Arizona 2Partnerships & Outreach Coordinator, USA‐NPN National Coordinating Office; University of Arizona 3Monitoring Design & Data Coordinator, USA‐NPN National Coordinating Office; University of Arizona 4Science Coordinator, USA‐NPN National Coordinating Office; The Wildlife Society 5Applications Programmer, USA‐NPN National Coordinating Office; University of Arizona 6Assistant Director & Information Technology Coordinator, USA‐NPN National Coordinating Office; University of Arizona 7Executive Director, USA‐NPN National Coordinating Office; US Geological Survey Suggested citation: Kellermann, J.L., T.M. Crimmins, E.G. Denny, C.A.F. Enquist, R.L. Marsh, A.H. Rosemartin, J.F. Weltzin. 2012. USA National Phenology Network 2011 Data & Participant Summary. USA‐NPN Technical Series 2012‐001. www.usanpn.org. USA National Phenology Network 2011 Data & Participant Summary 2 Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report. This report complies with US Geological Survey Fundamental Science Practice standards. It has undergone peer and policy review and approval. USA National Phenology Network 2011 Data & Participant Summary 3 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 5 The USA National Phenology Network ................................................................................................. 5 Phenology ............................................................................................................................................. 5 Nature's Notebook ................................................................................................................................ 5 Observer Recruitment, Training, and Retention ................................................................................... 6 2011 STATUS OF NATURE’S NOTEBOOK ................................................................................................................ 6 2011 PARTICIPATION SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 7 Spatial patterns ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Temporal patterns .............................................................................................................................. 10 Partner organizations .......................................................................................................................... 11 DATA SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................. 14 Observed species ................................................................................................................................ 14 Tracking Species Interactions .............................................................................................................. 19 DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................................................... 20 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................... 22 CONTRIBUTIONS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ 22 APPENDIX A. 2011 PLANT DATA SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 243 APPENDIX B. 2011 ANIMAL DATA SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 3231 USA National Phenology Network 2011 Data & Participant Summary 4 INTRODUCTION The USA National Phenology Network The USA National Phenology Network (USA‐NPN; www.usanpn.org) seeks to engage a diverse range of citizen scientist volunteers, federal, state, and non‐governmental organizations, educators and professional research scientists to collect phenological observations of plants and animals using consistent standards and to contribute their observations to a national data repository. To guide this effort, the USA‐NPN National Coordinating Office (NCO), based in Tucson, Arizona, implemented an online monitoring program for plants and animals, Nature's Notebook, and has developed phenology monitoring protocols and an information management system, which includes the National Phenology Database (NPDb). We are developing a diversity of materials, tools, techniques, and protocols to assist decision making and education related to ecology, wildlife, human health, ecosystem services, natural resource management, biological conservation, and climate change adaptation. Phenology Phenology, derived from the Greek phaino, meaning to show or Phenophases are appear, is the periodic timing of recurring life cycle events or stages in organisms and their scientific study. Such events observable life stages in the include flowering or leaf‐out of plants, maturation of agricultural annual life cycles of plants crops, insect emergence, bird migration, or calving. The study of and animals such as plant phenology includes the observation of specific phenophases and flowering or bird migration. often considers their relationships with weather and climate. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report (2007) notes that plants and animals either respond to changes beyond their tolerances by shifting their phenology or range boundaries, altering their morphology, or becoming extirpated or extinct. The IPCC report further states that, "phenology…is perhaps the simplest process in which to track changes in the ecology of species in response to climate change". Therefore, phenology provides an effective biological indicator of the effects of climate change on ecosystems and the species that comprise them. Throughout human history, phenological events have been critical for tracking wild and domesticated plant and animal resources and are celebrated in paintings, stories, and music. However, many contemporary cultures have become physically and psychologically distanced from seasonal patterns in nature and overlook the continued importance of phenology in their everyday lives. Developing an in depth understanding of phenology is critical for effective decision making regarding future policies for management of natural resources, public health, recreation, and energy. Nature's Notebook Nature’s Notebook is the USA National Phenology Network’s plant and animal phenology observation program (www.usanpn.org/participate/observe). Through Nature’s Notebook, observers can 1) register as an observer with the Network; 2) register one or more sites where they are observing plant and/or animal phenology; 3) register one or more individual plants under observation; 4) create a checklist of USA National Phenology Network 2011 Data & Participant Summary 5 animals they are observing; and 5) enter phenology observations. Data submitted to Nature's Notebook, along with supporting metadata are available for download at www.usanpn.org/results/data. NPDb growth and Observer Recruitment, Training, and Retention The Network aims to ensure that the data collected through Nature's Notebook and housed in the NPDb is of the highest possible quality and applicability and of the greatest use and relevance to partners, decision makers, researchers, and society. This will ultimately require long‐term repeated observations over years to decades across the entire United States of plants and animals from a diversity of species that represent a range of phenological responses to climate and environmental change. Through a broad network of partnerships and community participation we will continue to grow and improve the database and thus the scope, complexity, and importance of the data products and applications generated from it. We envision a database with the appropriate spatial extent, temporal breadth, ecological scale, and phenological scope that can support these data products and tools. Knowing these parameters enables us to optimize and direct our efforts in terms of recruitment, training and retention. Here we report on the extent, scale, and breadth of the database as of 31 December 2011, in part as a baseline for growth in coming years. More details on recruitment, training, and retention of observers can be found in Rosemartin et al. (2012). This document is intended to describe the progress thus far in developing the National Phenology Database and consider several potential applications of the data. 2011 STATUS OF NATURE’S NOTEBOOK Nature’s Notebook was launched in 2009, making 2011 the third year of the program’s existence. Significant enhancements were made to the online user interface, and the capacity for reporting abundance and intensity