PLS170C1 Assignment Plants and Our World

PLS170C1 Assignment 
Plants and Our World 
PHENOLOGY 
What Is Phenology? 
Phenology is derived from the Greek word phaino, meaning to show or appear. Phenology refers to recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, such as leafing and flowering, maturation of agricultural plants, emergence of insects, and migration of birds.  It is also the study of these recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, especially their timing and relationships with weather and climate. 
  
Why Is It Important? 
Phenology, put another way, is simply nature’s calendar—when the cherry trees bloom, the robin builds its nest, and the leaves turn color in the fall. This schedule is critical for plants and animals, and people too. When a caterpillar emerges, it needs developing leaves to eat. When a chick hatches, it needs caterpillars and other food to eat. For many people, allergy season starts when particular flowers bloom—earlier flowering means earlier allergies. Farmers and gardeners need to know when to plant to avoid frosts, and they need to know the schedule of plant and insect development to decide when to apply fertilizers and pesticides. In fact, phenology affects nearly all aspects of the environment, including the abundance and diversity of organisms, their interactions with one another, their functions in food webs, and their seasonal behavior, and global-scale cycles of water, carbon, and other chemical elements. 

The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) is a National Organization housed on the UA Campus. It develops programs to monitors the influence of climate on the phenology of plants, animals, and landscapes. In so doing, they encourage people to observe phenological events like leaf out, flowering, migrations, and egg laying, and by providing a place for people to enter, store, and share their observations. They also work with researchers to develop tools and techniques that make use of these observations to support a wide range of decisions made routinely by citizens, managers, scientists, and others, including decisions related to allergies, wildfires, water, and conservation. 
  
Vision  
The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to observe and record phenology as a way to discover and explore the nature and pace of our dynamic world. The Network makes phenology data, models, and related information freely available to empower scientists, resource managers, and the public in decision-making and adapting to variable and changing climates and environments. 
  
Mission 
 The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) serves science and society by promoting broad understanding of plant and animal phenology and its relationship with environmental change.  The Network is a consortium of individuals and organizations that collect, share, and use phenology data, models, and related information. 

Nature’s Notebook 
One way the NPN serves its mission is through citizen science. Nature’s Notebook is an online tool for phenology data entry. Anyone can register to participate in observing and record data. 
To help you become familiar with the program, you will search for several native species described at http://www.usanpn.org/species_search After reading these plant descriptions, complete the scavenger hunt by answering the questions below.   


USA-NPN “Nature’s Notebook” Scavenger Hunt 

  1. Plant species: Olneya tesota 
  1. Common name: Desert Ironwood 
  1. How does a nurse plant affect biodiversity?  
Nurse plants provide shade, temperature modification, and protection for seedlings, allowing for several diverse plants to grow beneath it and increase biological diversity in extreme environments.  

  1. Plant species: Prosopis glandulosa 
  1. Common name: Honey Mesquite 
  1. What are two current and traditional uses of the plant? 
Two current uses of the wood are for furniture and flooring. Two traditional uses are using  
The pods and seeds to make bread and beer. 
  1. How is this plant pollinated?  
They are insect, possibly wind, and self pollinated. 

  1. Plant species: Carnegia gigantea 
  1. Common name: Saguaro 
  1. What color are the mature fruit? Mature fruits are reddish green or red  
  1. What color are the flowers?  
The flowers are white and yellow 

  1. Plant species: Prosopis velutina 
  1. Common name: Velvet Mesquite 
  1. What plant feature does velutina refer to?  
It refers to the velvety texture of the foliage.  
  1. What is the maximum cold temperature adaptation of this species?  
It tolerates cold to 5 degrees Fahrenheit  
  1. What botanical family does this belong in?  
It belongs in the Fabaceae (pea) family 
  1. What is one human use for this plant? One human use is using the wood for firewood. 

  1. Plant species: Parkinsonia florida 
  1. Common name: Blue Paloverde 
  1. How does the green bark help this drought-deciduous tree? It enables it to photosynthesize even when it is leafless, which may be most of the year.  

  1. Plant species: Fouquieria splendens 
  1. Common name: Ocotillo 
  1. What color are the flowers?  
The flowers are red to orange. 
  1. What is the name of the dry brown fruit that splits open to reveal the seed?  
It is called a capsule. 

  1. Plant species: Simmondsia chinensis 
  1. Common name: Jojoba 
  1. What is one human use for this plant? One human use is using the seeds for cosmetics. 

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