Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Climate change and phenology

Fig.1. David Inouye studies phenology and climate change’s effect on pollinators, such as bees, hummingbirds and flies. (Credit: David Inouye)

When David Inouye looks out the window of his Colorado home, he’s looking at the mountains. He’s traded in the D.C. suburbs for this view, which also happens to be his office.

The professor emeritus of the University of Maryland has worked at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory throughout his career, focusing on phenology and climate change’s effect on pollinators. Inouye specifically studies hummingbirds, bumblebees and flies. He has collaborated on other projects studying butterflies and solitary bees. As a graduate student in the 1970s, Inouye began to study how the timing and abundance of flowering of plants changes from day to day, year to year. With 30 plots to study during growing season and gathering data from 120 different species, the study has been ongoing.

“I’m a big supporter of field stations,” Inouye said, noting his work is in a beautiful environment while challenging him intellectually. “I think this particular research station is probably the most productive one in the country -- if not the world.”

Over the years, Inouye said he and his team have discovered that the growing season starts earlier, which can result in frost damage to wildflowers. This can also affect food security, as the production of fruit crops are also affected by the increased frequency of early spring warm spells that are followed by a cold snap.

According to a two-year study conducted by Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), pollinators are being driven to extinction, threatening not only billions of dollars of food supplies but human livelihood, as well. The document, “Thematic Assessment of Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production,” also offers ways to protect the pollinator population.

Inouye can usually be found out in the field, collecting data and specimens for study. Much of his work revolves around collecting and evaluating flower- and pollinator-count data. Regular sampling of the pollinator community clues Inouye in on how it develops, providing further insight as to what environmental variables influence population size.

But Inouye’s research hasn’t come without challenges.

“I’m fortunate to have some funding (for the long-term project),” he said.

But convincing the National Science Foundation that investing in a lengthy project has proven to be difficult, especially when getting funds can be so competitive.

Inouye will be a keynote speaker at our September workshop, Stressors and Drivers of Food Security: Evidence from Scientific Collections. He plans to highlight his work as well as what the application of his results could mean for the global impact of pollinators and food security.

14 comments :

  1. Thanks for the nice blog. It was very useful for me. I'm happy I found this blog. Thank you for sharing with us,I too always learn something new from your post. becn1 elisa

    ReplyDelete
  2. I guess interdisciplinary research is the way to go. I mean, the purpose of research should be to serve humanity more than anything else – and I'm afraid confining the scope of research to a particular area doesn’t do that. Currently, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in literature and searching for Ph.D. Dissertation Topics For English Literature , but once I complete my Ph.D., I will take up interdisciplinary research.

    ReplyDelete
  3. When your college workload is piling up and your deadlines are falling behind, it's time to give in and pay to write research paper or pay for a term …

    ReplyDelete
  4. David Inouye is a great blogger he writes many blogs but this blog is great one I like this blog, it is about the beauty of mountains and forests I see it in my essay which was written by auditing assignment helper and I love it's writing. thanks for this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi....
    Phenology, or the timing of the annual cycles of plants and animals, is extremely sensitive to changes in climate. We know that plants and animals may adjust the timing of certain phenological events, such as tree flowering or migration, based on changes in weather.
    You are also read more Best Personal Loan in India

    ReplyDelete
  6. We are not limited to providing you only good authors. We offer you a full range of academic annotated bibliography generator and other high-level written help. With carefully selected experts, you can get support on all of the following issues and much more

    ReplyDelete
  7. All orders arrive before the time? We guarantee on-schedule delivery but strive to finish www.writemyessays.org your paper as fast as possible. We even have 50+ writers with their PHDs who handle the complex dissertations.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The best essay writing service paperwritingservices.reviews be sure of the quality of writing

    ReplyDelete
  9. The best cv experts dubai are works in Assignment Masters UAE. I am kinza khan and i am best assignment writers in UAE, And my company hired best and educated persons.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for sharing useful knowledge! for more take my class help
    .

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for sharing your insights on this subject. I found it very informative and helpful. If your target audience is active on social media, we can assist you in developing comprehensive social media marketing strategies to connect with them seamlessly.
    Website: https://designfictives.com/search-engine-optimization-services

    ReplyDelete
  12. If you need help writing an essay about the unique beauty of the Colorado landscape, I would highly recommend seeking out "Essay Help" for your writing journey! The majestic mountains alone are worth writing an essay about!

    ReplyDelete
  13. The relationship between climate change and phenology is a fascinating area of study. Understanding how shifts in climate impact the timing of natural events can provide valuable insights into the ecological effects of climate change. For those interested in delving deeper into this subject, exploring Online Class Help can offer a structured learning experience and access to expert knowledge to further explore the intricate connections between climate change and phenology.

    ReplyDelete