Lab 6 - Climate Change and Phenology

Effects of Climate Change on Plant Phenology

• Focus: Understanding the influence of climate change on the timing of plant life cycles, referred to as plant phenology.

Rocky Mountain Climate Analysis (Part 2)

• Introduction: Begin with part 1 to familiarize with the target species.

• Spreadsheet Skills: Learn to use Excel effectively:

  • Creating figures with labeled axes and trendlines.

  • Interpreting figures to identify patterns.

  • Understanding simple linear correlation, critical for data analysis in lab 11.

Review: Climate Change - What is it?

• Greenhouse Gases: Increase in gases like CO2 causes heat trapping in the atmosphere.

• Ocean Acidification: A direct result of increased CO2 affecting marine ecosystems.

• Weather Patterns: Climate change alters weather in complex ways (e.g., intensity, frequency of weather events).

Review: Climate Change - Why do we care?

• Impact on Species/Ecosystems:

  • Changes in ecosystems and species dynamics.

  • Potential range changes leading to extinctions and biodiversity loss.

• Impact on Humans:

  • Increased frequency of droughts.

  • Higher instances of wildfires.

  • Sea level rise affecting coastal areas.

  • More extreme weather events such as hurricanes.

Phenology

• Definition: The study of the timing of life cycle events in organisms and their alignment with environmental factors (resources like food, water).

• Plant Growth and Flowering Timing:

  • Influenced by warmth, sunlight, and moisture.

  • Patterns of flowering can shift based on pollinators' availability.

• Germination Cycle: Includes germination, growth, reproduction, and dormancy phases for annual and perennial plants.

Plant and Animal Adaptation

• Plants: Adjust phenology according to localized environmental cues.

• Bears as an Example:

  • Hibernate and reproduce in dormant seasons.

  • Feed and fatten up in abundant food seasons, preparing for winter hibernation.

Research Site: Rocky Mountain Biological Lab

• Location: Gothic, Colorado, at ~9,500 ft elevation.

• Research Focus: Investigating how climate change affects plant phenology.

Yearly Phenology in Gothic, Colorado

• Seasonal Breakdown:

  • Winter (Jan - April)

  • Spring (April - May)

  • Summer (June - August)

  • Fall (Sept - Oct)

  • Winter (Nov - Dec)

Plant Phenology Project - RMBL

• Data Collection:

  • Access dataset through Canvas for Lab 11.

• Key Questions for Analysis:

  • Q1: Trends in winter climate data over the past 45 years?

  • Q2: Trends in spring climate data over the past 45 years?

  • Source: Daily weather data collected by Billy Barr for 45 years.

Plant Phenology Analysis (Part 3)

• Research Team:

  • Led by Drs. David Inouye, Nora Underwood, and Brian Inouye, studying flowers at RMBL for over 45 years.

Study Setup

• Field Research:

  • 23 plots, each measuring 2m x 2m around the lab.

  • Counted number of open flowers thrice weekly during summer to gather species data.

Variables for Analysis

• Metrics to Analyze:

  • Count of open flowers per plot.

  • Peak number of flowers in the plot.

  • Date of first and last flowers observed each year.

  • Duration of flowering period.