The Dogwood Project
Utsunomiya High School Horace Mann High School
Have you ever noticed that leaves on trees in your neighborhood begin to appear at different times during the year? This happens because of year-to-year changes in weather. Temperature, moisture, and sunlight influence the sprouting of leaves; the annual cycle in sunlight is virtually constant, so the year-to-year changes are due to temperature and moisture. Phenology is the study of recurring biological cycles and their connection to climate. For example, annual bird migrations, insect outbreaks, and salmon spawning are phenological cycles. While these events occur around the same time each year, their precise timing varies from year to year. This year-to-year variation is called interannual variability. Scientists have examined satellite data that record when plants begin to look green over a square kilometer of land. These observations cover virtually the entire land mass of Earth for a number of years. Based on these observations, these scientists have hypothesized that the growing season is beginning earlier and earlier in large areas of the world and that this is a sign that the climate is warming. Is this hypothesis correct? Data taken on individual plants in different regions of the world is important to test this hypothesis. Projects like ours are especially important for this research. Scientists need to understand how vegetation responds to interannual climate variability. While some scientists have studied phenology for some areas or some species, there has never been a consistent, world-wide effort to monitor vegetation phenology. By taking data, you will see for yourself how vegetation responds to climate in Utsunomiya and New York and you will provide important information needed to better understand how global climate influences changes in vegetation.
Dogwood Project Description