Phenology: the Preserve through the seasons
 This web page is an introduction to the science called phenology,
which studies natural events—season to season and year to year—in
an effort to understand the natural cycles of ecosystems.
Watching the seasonal cycles of its plants, animals,
and physical systems is a fascinating way to deepen
your appreciation and understanding of a natural area like the Lakeshore
Nature Preserve.
What is phenology?
Phenology is the study of observable and measurable
events that tend to occur annually. Types of annual events
include:
- the dates that Lake Mendota freezes in the winter and thaws in the
spring, or
- the date in early spring when male redwing blackbirds
first, begin singing to declare their territories in the vicinity
of University Bay.
Phenology can be enjoyed by everyone, no matter how
much or how little they know about natural history. Small children can
understand its core concepts, and senior scientists still experience
wonder at the insights it generates. Phenological observations are also
used to understand how our climate is changing.
Start looking!
How do you get started observing these natural
cycles? One great strategy
is simply to identify a trail you especially enjoy, and walk
it every week from March through July. Repeatedly visiting
the same places in the Preserve across the months of a year will reveal
how those places change in predictable ways.
Click on each of the season pages below to find a list
of natural events that are easy and fun to observe. Find your season
and your path—and
start looking!
Recording the rhythm
Nature watchers have observed and recorded the timing
of events like these—and countless others—from time immemorial. This
is reflected in historical records, poetry, and folklore from around
the world.
If watched and recorded carefully, the historical
record of past seasonal change can be used to predict future events
as well. In the seasonal
examples we offer below, we're essentially predicting the future for
you: if you want to see Jack-in-the-Pulpits in bloom, for instance, go
looking for this plant in early spring.
Many phenological records note the first occurrence each year of a particular
biological event, such as the first observed blooming of a particular
wildflower. But phenology is not limited to recording just the beginning
of an event. It can also include when that event ends: for example, when
the nesting period for a particular species of bird is complete.
 Phenological record-keeping isn't limited to biological events. Phenology
includes observations of the timing of physical phenomena in a given
locale, such as the dates of freezing
and thawing for Lake Mendota collected over the past 150 years. These
have provided scientifically valuable information showing how a particular
lake in the Midwest is responding to climate change.
When these recorded
observations of Lake Mendota are combined with similar observations
of lakes, streams, and rivers throughout the northern hemisphere, the
result is a compelling history of how ecosystems are changing in response
to changing climate. In fact, phenological records
are providing some of the most convincing evidence for climate change.
Beyond their scientific value, phenological observations are easy and
fun. They allow us to observe the pulses and rhythms of places we hold
dear. We can also share our observations with people at different locations,
and the combined records can then paint a picture of changes in the timing
of similar events across different landscapes. Simple though such studies
may seem at first glance, they have been quite central to our understanding
of climate change.
Learn more about phenology
 The
following are excellent sources of information if you'd like to deepen
your knowledge of this fascinating science of phenology.
 The Wisconsin Phenological Society http://www.naturenet.com/alnc/wps/
Environmental Education for Kids: http://www.dnr.wi.gov/eek/nature/season/pheno.asp
National
Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
Phenology Web Links http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/phenology.html
National Phenology Network http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geography/npn/networks.html
Text and image credits:
- Authors: Robert Bohanan and Bill Cronon,
with input
from Ann Burgess, Cathie Bruner, Glenda Denniston, Kenneth Raffa, Rebecca
Kagle, Travis Tennessen, Susan Will-Wolf. V2a, 11/7/06.
- Images: Four seasons grid. Glenda Denniston.
- Chart: Robert Bohanan, "Lake Ice Cover Phenology,"
2006.
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