In 2022, we collected data on the timing of flowering for 1373 flowering plants (2291 flowering heads) in 23 remnant patches. We identify each plant with a numbered tag affixed to the base and give each head a colored twist tie, so that each head has a unique tag/twist-tie combination, or “head ID”, under which we store all phenology data. We monitor the flowering status of all flowering plants in the remnants, visiting at least once every three days (usually every two days) until all heads are done flowering to obtain start and end dates of flowering. In most remnants, we monitor the phenology of all flowering Echinacea. In 2022, record high flowering led us to sub-sample from select sites (namely alf, nwlf, lfe, lfw, lce, and lcw) and exclude some sites (e.g., ri, aa, and a large chunk of alf).
Linking this detailed phenology data with information about seed production will help us understand how the timing of reproduction influences pollination and reproductive fitness. Additionally, we are excited to investigate whether fire synchronizes flowering in remnant populations. Eight of the populations in which we collected phenology data were burned during spring 2022.
- Start year: 1996
- Location: Roadsides, railroad rights of way, and nature preserves in and around Solem Township, MN
- Overlaps with: Reproductive fitness in remnants
- Data collected: We managed the data in the R project ‘aiisummer2022′ and will add the records to the database of previous years’ remnant phenology records. The 2022 phenology data set needs to be cleaned and prepared for integration with phenology data from previous years and is still located in the aiisummer2022 repo.
- Products: Stay tuned!
You can read more about the Flowering phenology in remnants project, as well as links to prior flog entries about this experiment, on the background page for this experiment.
Leave a Reply