Phenology
Noting
When Things Happen
Background
Phenology is the science dealing with relationships between
climate and periodic biologic phenomena.
Climate is the typical weather pattern of an area over time. Periodic
biological phenomena include birds nesting, emergence and disappearance of
flowers or leaves, and the appearance of species. The root word “pheno” means showing or displaying, and thus we will be
studying how organisms show changes throughout the Spring Semester. We will
also keep a record of climatic factors, to determine whether the changes we
note in plants and animals are correlated to climate.
Materials
- Student
supplies: Calendar; bound “Composition” notebook; pencil; crayons or
colored pencils
- College
supplies: Binoculars; magnifying glass; local bird, tree and plant books;
plant press; internet access
Methods
Organization: Put your name, journal title, and date on the
first page.
Noting changes in the environment: Set up a table starting on the second page of
your phenology journal, and label it appropriately. Record temperature (high/low), day length,
cloud cover, and rainfall amounts. Climate data can easily be found at www.wunderground.com
or at www.weather.com.
You must record these data weekly, on the same day of the week, for 15 weeks.
Noting
changes in living things: Every week for 15 weeks you will make a record (1
page minimum) of the changing plants and animals of the Los Banos
Campus (not the weather again!). You do not have to do all of your observation
on the same day, but you should have an entry for every week. Write the week’s
dates in the upper right hand corner of each page (e.g. “January 19 –25”). I
expect that you will have sketches of organisms noting the traits on display,
along with written records of sightings. You are encouraged to include pressed
plant specimens. Please attempt to identify your specimens. If you are not sure
what an organism is, you can use the guides provided, or ask the instructor for
assistance.
Analysis: At the
end of the journal, analyze your data for patterns, and write your reflections.
Why do we see what we do, when we do?
Assessment: The
journal will be scored for completeness, thoughtfulness and beauty, as
indicated on the grading guide. It is
worth 50 points total. Two checkpoints and a final due date are indicated on
the class schedule. Journals received after the final due date will be penalized
by 10% per academic day.