Have you seen your first snowdrop yet?
Whilst they normally start to appear in January, snowdrops have been flowering in London since the 12th of December. Is this a sign of a plant in a sheltered spot during a mild winter; the difference between urban and rural temperatures; or is it a symptom of more significant climate change?By itself one plant doesn’t give us an answer but imagine how much information we would have if we combined all the sightings across the country.That’s what Nature’s Calendar (a citizen science project run by the Woodland Trust and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) does. With over 2.9 million entries, this database contains records that span the UK and date back over 300 years. The records volunteers send in are used in phenology research; which studies the impact of seasonal changes in plants and animals. Using phenology data, scientists estimate that across Europe, spring is starting 2.5 days earlier per decade, and a Met Office study estimates that active plant growth has become a month longer during the last decade than it was between 1961 and 1990. And what about the snowdrops? Last year volunteers sent in nearly 1,000 records and on average snowdrops flowered 18 days earlier than the 2001 benchmark year, of the 18th of January, with 74 sightings in November and December due to the mild winter.
What is recorded?
Across the country volunteers record seasonal changes for a range of plants, birds and insects whose lifecycles are sensitive to changes in seasonal temperatures. The species have been chosen because they are common throughout the UK, live in rural and urban areas, are easily recognisable and well-loved. To help compare trends they have also been chosen because they have been extensively recorded in the past.To make sure the data can be used by scientists Nature's Calendar asks people to record specific changes. For trees and shrubs for example, spring events such as when the buds burst, when the first leaves and flowers appear, as well as autumn events such as when the fruit ripens, the leaves change colour, start to fall and finally when the tree is bare are all recorded.Changes in these important events are already being seen. Last year’s data showed that all the 11 trees studied came into budburst and first leaf earlier than the benchmark year. In many cases it was two weeks or more early and this could have a knock-on effect on food sources and behaviour all the way through the food chain.But more information is need to find out if the lifecycles and behaviour of insects and birds will be able to stay in sync with the plants and flowers they rely on.Blue Tits eat caterpillars that feed on the young leaves of birch trees. So, a change in first leafing could impact on not just the caterpillar, but also the breeding Blue Tits.
Dormice rely on fruits and nuts to build up their reserves before they hibernate, and one of their key food sources are hazel nuts. Hazel is consistently flowering earlier, and we don’t know what impact this is having on the availability of nuts in the autumn, or how this will impact on Dormice during their hibernation.
Can you spare some time to help?
This year, staff and volunteers from Fingle will join thousands of other people who are letting the Woodland Trust know what is happening to wildlife near them. We'll be using a series of blogs over the next 12 months to document our journey - will it make us appreciate often overlooked species and appreciate more the changing seasons? But you don't need to be in a wood like Fingle to join in, you could contribute records from your garden, your local park, or an area you pass on your favourite walk or route to work. You could take the records on your own, or with your walking group, school or local club. Whatever option you choose, the information you provide will help scientists monitor the effects of climate change. The more we know, the more persuasive the case becomes for action.Three steps to getting involved:
- Decide what you’d like to look out for; trees, shrubs, flowers, fungi, insects, amphibians, birds, grasses, there’s a wide range to choose from. You can find the full list on the Nature’s Calendar
- Choose a site you’d like to focus on. The phenology calendar shows you when you can expect to see the key events that are recorded. They’ve all been selected by scientists to help increase the understanding of how wildlife is being affected.
- Register on the Nature’s Calendar site to start entering your findings.
