JDJCSET | Sigma Xi Poster Competition
Using Hardiness Zones to Determine Phenological Variation
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Wildlife and Conservation Biology/Wildlife Biology
Minor
n/a
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Paul Gagnon; Dr. Bassil El Masri
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
ABSTRACT
Phenology is nature’s calendar; it describes the seasonal timing of organisms that synchronize their lives to cyclical climatic changes throughout the year and across years. Phenology varies with latitude and other drivers of temperature and climate. Hardiness zones were established by the USDA as a basis for comparing phenology across North America. Hardiness zones are defined by the average annual minimum winter temperatures for any given location. We set out to evaluate similarities and differences in the first bloom date of common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.) across different locations within the same plant hardiness zones. We used the US National Phenology Network (US-NPN), a citizen-scientist observational database, which dates back to 1951. With the help of ArcMap, we were able to separate each data point according to its location within its respective hardiness zone. Evaluating the first bloom dates of common lilac will help us understand if hardiness zones are an accurate representation of phenological changes and the degree to which they can help us understand future plant phenology work.
KEY WORDS: Hardiness zones, Phenology, Syringa vulgaris, US-NPN
Affiliations
Sigma Xi Poster and General Posters
Using Hardiness Zones to Determine Phenological Variation
ABSTRACT
Phenology is nature’s calendar; it describes the seasonal timing of organisms that synchronize their lives to cyclical climatic changes throughout the year and across years. Phenology varies with latitude and other drivers of temperature and climate. Hardiness zones were established by the USDA as a basis for comparing phenology across North America. Hardiness zones are defined by the average annual minimum winter temperatures for any given location. We set out to evaluate similarities and differences in the first bloom date of common lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.) across different locations within the same plant hardiness zones. We used the US National Phenology Network (US-NPN), a citizen-scientist observational database, which dates back to 1951. With the help of ArcMap, we were able to separate each data point according to its location within its respective hardiness zone. Evaluating the first bloom dates of common lilac will help us understand if hardiness zones are an accurate representation of phenological changes and the degree to which they can help us understand future plant phenology work.
KEY WORDS: Hardiness zones, Phenology, Syringa vulgaris, US-NPN