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How are native and invasive plants responding to changes in the timing of Alaska's seasons ?
This is the question the Project BrownDown team addressed. Project BrownDown formed as an extension of the Melibee Project after some volunteers observed that in years with long autumns, the invasive plants seemed to hold onto their leaves far later than the native plants. This raised the question: Could invasive plants be taking better advantage of changes in growing season length and variability associated with climate change compared to the native plants? What might the impacts be in the arctic and boreal regions where the effects of climate change are strong and where invasive species are spreading at an increasing rate? To help find the answers to these questions and more, our team of citizen scientists conducted research on plant phenology (timing of life events) on the ground!
This project is completed but the protocol may be used to track phenology for your own Boreal Forest plant questions. The protocol is aligned with the National Phenology Network, which provides a permanent home for any data you might want to collect. This website archives the results of Project Brown Down and the resources that we developed to moonitor fall phenology that may be useful to you. Enjoy!
Our Research
Learn more about the phenology and climate change research that our lab has done and why we sought out the help of citizen scientists to complete the project. See the research.
The team!
Over 700 youth and adults joined Bonanza Creek LTER scientists in tracking the fall phenology of native and introduced plants in Alaska.
Citizen Science Protocol
Learn how to make observations of your plants and download datasheets and identification guides. View the protocol and get materials.
Data and Results
Volunteers entered data online through the Hands on the Land environmental Monitoring portal. See the data and visualizations of the results. Go to data.
The first frost hits the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus and bird vetch (Vicia cracca) is the only green plant remaining in this picture. Photo by Katie Spellman.
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