Project BudBurst
Numerous plant and animal species throughout the world are being affected by climate change. Some plants respond to warmer temperatures by extending their growing seasons. Others shift their ranges toward the poles or to higher elevations.
At the same time, some insects and birds breed and migrate based on day length rather than temperature. This can cause a mismatch between the behavior of pollinators, such as bees, and flowers that bloom earlier than the insects expect. Such asynchronous behavior has already been noted across many parts of the world.
Project BudBurst is a nationwide initiative to help scientists understand the effects of climate change on plants by recording the timing of leafing and flowering of a variety of species. The project started as a three-month pilot program in 2007. Thousands of observations have been amassed in subsequent years from students, gardeners, and others citizen scientists in all 50 states.
Project BudBurst is co-managed by the National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc. (NEON) and the Chicago Botanic Garden. It is funded by the National Ecological Observatory Network and the National Geographic Education Foundation.
More information about Project BudBurst at http://www.neoninc.org/budburst/index.php
Read more about this topic: Chicago Botanic Garden
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