Transcript 10_Orkney_Brittany - Arizona Space Grant Consortium

Mapping The Social
Significance of Phenologic
Changes
BRITTANY ORKNEY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
National Phenology Network
Jake Weltzin, Ph.D.
Mark Losleben
Barron Orr, Ph.D.
PHENOLOGY

The study of the
seasonal timing of
cyclical life events
 National Phenology
Network

Monitors changes in
natural environment
through seasonal
timing of events.
CLIMATE CHANGE

2007 Report from
Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC)
 Warming of the
climate system is
unequivocal
 CO2 levels in the
atmosphere are
increasing
NASA Earth Observatory
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Giants/Arrhenius/arr
henius_2.html
Phenologic Adaptations
 Associated
Borenstein
Press coverage by Seth
– Scientific data revealing earlier spring
events in the United States
 Identifies
pressing issues at hand as
current trends stray from historical
data
Map of Earlier Spring
Connecting Phenology to Society

Society’s
celebration and
reliance on
phenologic events
– Social impacts of
changing
phenologies
Popular Press Search

Systematic search of popular press on how
climate-phenologic change is affecting society.
– Searched a number of online databases (i.e., typical
Google searches, NewsBank)
– Used a variety of keywords (e.g., blooming and
warming)
– Tracked and recorded search efforts (for repeatability)
– Compiled in a simple Excel database (for analysis)
Example: Tree Quality and
Baseball Bats

Pa., Mi., Il
– Decreasing quality
of Ash Wood in the
manufacturing of
Baseball Bats.
– Harming small town
economies
Source: Balmy Weather May
Bench a Baseball Staple. New
York Times- July 11, 2007
Image
from:http://www.just
bats.com/images/pro
ducts/item-wo08wp243.jpg
Example: Extending Hunting
Seasons

Missouri
– Hunting seasoned
doubled in length
– Threat of altered
migration route
Source: In Duck Blinds, Visions of
Global Warming. New York TimesDecember 11, 2007
Image from:
http://www.ducks.org/Hunting/MigrationMap/3602/DUMigratio
nMapReturnsFall2008.html
Accessible Results
Tabular data are not enough
 Public access and understanding is
more likely using maps
 Creating a Google “My Map” and made
publically accessible

Accessible Results
Conclusions
 Climate
change is happening and
affecting phenologic calendars
 These changes are impacting society
 Bridging the science and society at
large
Questions?
Special Thanks To:
The National Phenology Network
Jake Weltzin
Mark Losleben