For most of us, the arrival of the first buds of early spring is a welcome sign that winter's on its way out. For an ecologist, every unfolding blossom is a data point. By making careful records of when each plant begins to bloom, scientists hope to paint a clearer picture of how the climate is changing, and how living things are responding to it.
The science of how the life cycles of living things respond to the weather is called phenology, and it has a long history. The keeping of detailed weather data is a relatively recent phenomenon in history, but records of plant flowering and harvest dates -- many kept by farmers, who are keen observers of weather and nature -- go back hundreds of years in some places.
Today, with plants in many places flowering days and even weeks earlier than they have historically, scientists keep track of bud break to learn how fast climate change is moving, and how it's affecting ecosystems. Citizen observers have a critical role to play. In the US, the National Phenology Network coordinates volunteers and scientists across the country, who can sign up to share their observations and see each other's data.
And here in New York State, Cornell University is looking for volunteer plant-spotters to help out with Project Budbreak, a local phenology initiative that relies heavily on citizen scientists. (Hat tip to the New York Flora Association's blog.)
If you're interested in helping out, now's the time, with plants beginning to wake up from their long winter dormancy. In New York City, whose climate is positively balmy compared to the mountains just a couple of hours' drive north and west, budbreak has already begun in earnest. Over the weekend, blogger Marie Viljoen of 66 Square Feet got some great shots of Cornelian cherry, winter hazel, and honeysuckle in bloom.
There's signs of spring in the Catskills if you know where to look. Last week, Catskill Native Nursery in Kerhonkson (whose owner, Francis Groeters, we interviewed around this time last spring) posted a picture on their Facebook wall of a rhubarb plant just beginning to push up through the soil. And a week and a half ago, we caught a glimpse of some crocuses unfolding on a sunny hillside in Andes.
Photo of lilac buds by Flickr user zalgon. Published under Creative Commons license.
