Digital Phenology Project Kayla MullenBiology 3000-001

What is Phenology?

According to the World Book Encyclopedia, phenology“is the study of when certain biological events that

depend on climate take place.”1

leaves changing colors

birds migrating

plants sprouting

Photos on this page are courtesy of Google Images

THE CLIMATE EFFECTS WHEN THINGS HAPPEN!

Why do birds migrate in the Winter?

Why do plants sprout in the Spring?

Why do the leaves change colors in Fall, and why do they fall off??

All of these questions can be answered by studying phenology!

Let’s look at the last question: Why do leaves change colors in the Fall?

Phenology of a Tulip Poplara 6-week case study of the changes in a deciduous tree in my backyard

Week 1

October 14, 2012

Mostly green leaves

No trees adjacent

Largest tree in my yard

Tulip Poplar Facts2:

Scientific name:

Liriodendron tulipifera

member of the magnolia family

Feeds squirrels and deer

Great for reforestation due to rapid growth

Week 2October 22, 2012

Most of the leaves are still green, but some arebeginning to turn yellow.

NOTE: The days are starting to get shorter, which means less sunlight. Less sunlight means less photosynthesis! Less photosynthesis means….

Less need for CHLOROPLAST!

Chloroplast is what makes plants GREEN and what allows them to PHOTOSYNTHESIZE.

Without sunlight, plants don’t need it! So, they lose their green color, which allows other colors to come through the surface. They were always there…hiding behind the green chloroplast!3

Week 3October 29, 2012

Leaves are starting to fall at a faster rate. More and more leaves are turning yellow.

If this tree were in a backyard in the northern United States, it would probably have less leaves and more colorful leaves. How do I know this?

Foliage maps predict the forecast of fall foliage for travelers, farmers, and even scientists!

4

Week 4November 10, 2012

Far less leaves than before! Branches are starting to have larger gaps of leaves and more leaves are falling from the bottom of the tree.

On some of the yellow leaves, there are brown, splotchy areas…..WHAT IS THIS!

It could be…….FUNGUS!

Leaf Spot Fungus

According to Gardening Know How, “Spotted leaves occur when fungal spores in the air find a warm, wet, plant surface to cling to. As soon as that microscopic spore gets comfortable in its new home, sporulation(the fungal method of reproduction) occurs and the tiny brown fungal leaf spot begins to grow.”5

Week 5November 15, 2012

Wow! What a difference! The tree is mostly yellow and orange, a beautiful fall combination. The leaves are dry and brittle, and are beginning to shrivel.

These leaves have changed a great deal and are totally different from the bright green leaves from before.

Week 1 vs Week 5Leaf Contrast

Week 1 Leaves

• Soft

• Cat face shape

• Moist when torn

• Smells like grass

Week 5 Leaves

• Brittle

• Crumbles

• Rough

• Dry

• Curled up

Week 6November 19, 2012

The leaves on this tree will continue to fall, as the temperatures get colder and the days get shorter. The tree will survive through the winter by using its stored energy.One reason why the tree has not lost more leaves could be because of the warmer temperatures that are not characteristic of this time of year. Global warming effects everything!!!

Where is the energy stored in the different seasons?

This is how the tree lives through the winter; by using the energy it has stored in its roots!

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Global Warming… :/

This is an interactive map with so much information on multiple global warming effects. Click HERE to check it out.6

Before & After

October 14, 2012 November 19, 2012

Conclusion

Phenology is the study of the response of living organisms to seasonal & climatic changes to their environment.

A tulip poplar tree in my backyard endures DRASTIC change in the course of only 6 weeks.

Global warming effects everything, inlcuding phenology.

Why do leaves change colors in the fall? Drop in amount of sunlight, drop in temperature, drop in photosynthesis, DROP IN CHLOROPLAST, which means more colors can shine through.

Citations

1. The World Book Encyclopedia Vol 15 P. S.l.: S.n., 1988. Print.

2. Dickerson, John. "Tulip Poplar." Http://plants.usda.gov. USDA NRCS, 5 Feb. 2002. Web. 21 Nov. 2012. <http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_litu.pdf>.

3. "Autumn Leaves." BrainPOP. BrainPOP, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.brainpop.com/science/ecologyandbehavior/autumnleaves/preview.weml>.

4. "NJDEP New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection." NJDEP New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Forest Research Eduation Center, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. <http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/forest/fall_color.html>.

5. Rhoades, Jackie. "Plants With Spotted Leaves? Fungal Leaf Spot Treatments." Gardening Know How RSS. Gardening Know How, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/plant-leaf-spots.htm>.

6. "Global Warming Effects Map." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2012. <http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-impacts-interactive/>.