Jo'lene Saldivar

Chicana, Biologist/Ecologist, First-Generation College Grad, USAF Veteran, & World Traveler.

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A Crash Course in Phenology

Phenology is the biological response to changing environmental cues. Photoperiod, temperature, precipitation, irradiance- along with genetics and several other factors- drive leaf-out, flowering, and leaf senescence. In order to avoid freezing and dying by putting their leaves out too early when winter transitions to spring, trees require a particular amount of sunlight each day before leaves can emerge. Similarly, when the hours of daylight begin to decrease with the onset of fall, trees withdrawal nutrients from their leaves, drop them and become dormant for the winter. 

Ground observation is the oldest method for recoding phenology, but with the advancement of technology and the increase of interest in phenology, other methods are being utilized. A method that is becoming increasingly popular involves using digital repeat camera imagery to extract changes in canopy greenness throughout the year. However, technological observational methods are reliant on the knowledge and understanding of phenological mechanisms being observed and predictive modeling cannot be achieved without this knowledge.

Understanding the mechanisms of phenology is important because climate change has already brought, and is predicted to continue bringing about, seasonal anomalies. Moreover, changes in phenology impacts forest productivity, ecosystem functions and services, carbon cycling, the logging industry, agriculture, and animal migration. 

Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts has phenological data dating back to 1990. In 2008, researchers began setting up cameras, or PhenoCams, throughout the forest. This summer my research group and I will begin analyzing PhenoCam images from several different field sites and will also be incorporating other types of data across New England forests to assess phenological trends over time. Additionally, we will gather characteristics of some of the trees present in PhenoCams to track how they have been responding throughout the years as individuals.

There is a wealth of historical phenological data available to us and we intend on incorporating climatic and hydrologic data into our research as well. Our findings and any models created will help to better understand phenology at Harvard Forest and will be further explored by researchers after our project is complete.

View from atop a Phenocam tower at Harvard Forest

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Harvard Forest Summer Research

I will begin work at Harvard Forest in just a few weeks. I can’t explain how excited I am for the learning opportunities that await! Updates will be posted throughout the summer :]

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Supermarket Beef Is Battleground for Deforestation Debate

One of Brazil’s largest supermarkets, Pão de Açúcar, has agreed to stop selling beef produced on deforested land or with forced labor by June 1. But while advocates hailed the announcement, they al…

"While deforestation for cattle has slowed in recent years, roughly 60 percent of Amazonian land that has been clear-cut is now used to raise cattle."

"Globally, meat production is one of the primary drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, estimated to produce 15 percent of emissions, with beef accounting for about 41 percent of that. Across Latin America, one-third of emissions related to beef come from animals raised on deforested land."

"The cattle industry is responsible for 62 percent of slave labor in Brasil, according to a 2009 report from the International Labor Organization. And, in February, NGO Reporter Brasil released a “dirty list” of 340 Brasilian companies fined for use of slave labor, singling out cattle ranching as a site of some of the worst abuses."

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Muir

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Chemistry labs: Tie your hair back. Wear lab coats. No shorts allowed. Safety goggles. Good walking shoes. Wear only certain kinds of socks. Don't sacrifice safety for modesty.

Physics Labs: If you got long hair you might want to tie it back.

Geology Labs: Here's a rock you can lick

Plant Science Labs: Have a tomato to eat.

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Ecological collapse circumscribes traditional women's work in Iraq's Mesopotamian marshes - Scienmag

For thousands of years, the marshes at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern day Iraq were an oasis of green in a dry landscape, hosting a wealth of wildlife. The culture of the ..

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Some of my favorite aspects about botany is the ethnobotanical aspect, specifically how plants have been used throughout history (for good, or for bad). Folklore is another interesting aspect. For instance, not many people know the reasoning or history behind the common image of a witch flying on a broomstick. I always get the most surprised reactions from people whenever I explain how so many things like witches and broomsticks, and even Santa Claus and his flying reindeer all stem from botanical backgrounds (no pun intended). This garden sounds really cool, and I wonder what kind of folklore they tell for each of the species they have. In addition to folklore, my favorite plant family is the Solanaceae family, so this garden appeals to me in so many ways! Looks like I’ll have to go back to England to check it out!

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This is such a great idea! The founder, Kina, started this company as a way for young girls to have more options when it comes to toys. Subscribers get monthly science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) experiments sent to them, and there are even cool online video tutorials. I might have to sign my nieces up!

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My growing obsession with lichen apothecia....

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Brian Douglas describes how the Lost and Found Fungi project at Kew aims to help develop British fungal conservation, by trying to find out which “lost” species are truly extinct and which species are simply under-recorded due to lack of survey work.

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Kew’s Orchid Festival, opening this week with a Brazilian theme, features a new short film following an expedition along the French Guiana-Brazil border. The film examines how modern techniques and equipment, coupled with old-fashioned exploration, can help fill voids in our knowledge of the Amazon flora.

I know some of the blood and sweat associated with expeditions like these. Backpacking the Peruvian Andes was the most physically and mentally challenging things I’ve ever experienced. However, I’d still love to explore the Amazon, particularly along the French Guiana-Brazil border, as was done here. I’m excited to read more about the expeditions findings as they are shared.

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This species of Eucalyptus is one of six giant tree species on the planet. What makes this an even bigger deal is that it is the only angiosperm, meaning it's a flowering plant while all the others are gymnosperms (non-flowering). It sheds its outer bark annually, which reveals a secondary bark that is capable of photosynthesizing. Because of this ability, the tree is able to grow up to 300 feet tall in just 90 years! I'm adding this species to my tree bucket list!

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(KCRW)