Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #39: Circumarctic Plantwatch – establishing a network of citizen scientists studying the spring phenology of plants across the circumpolar north  (Circumarctic Plantwatch)

Outline
Establish a circumarctic network of citizen scientists studying the spring phenology of plants. This would be an extension of an existing program in Canada called Plantwatch North, which is a regional sub-program of the national Plantwatch program. Plantwatch North studies the timing of phenological events in specific flowering plants as an indicator of climate change. Initiated in 2001, Plantwatch North has an established network of volunteers throughout the Canadian north reporting bloom dates to regional coordinators. With IPY support, we propose to expand this program across the circumpolar north by following the steps below: March 2005 - March 2006 -Develop partnerships with appropriate researchers and others in circumarctic nations. -Choose a suite of 5 or 6 species of plants that could be observed for phenological information in most circumarctic countries. -Recruit observers – locate a core group of new observers in each participating country and train them in Plantwatch monitoring protocols and data entry. -Develop a working model for a data management system to hold the data collected by all circumarctic observers. April 2006 – March 2007 -Develop a website for the dissemination of Circumarctic Plantwatch information that is interactive in scope, with realtime mapping capabilities for educational purposes. -Test Plantwatch protocols in new countries/regions and modify descriptions and methods regionally as required. -Enter circumarctic data collected in 2006 and data collected previously across northern Canada; examine data repository structure and analysis capability; modify as required. April 2007 – March 2009 (IPY years) -Each year, conduct data collection, management, analysis and reporting across the circumpolar north. -Establish a network and system for collecting Plantwatch data across the circumarctic in future years. Data collected by Circumarctic Plantwatch would aid in tracking and comparing ecological responses to climate change in northern terrestrial ecosystems. And since similar data is being collected at lower latitudes, some analysis of the effects of climate change across a north/south gradient can be made as well. Ultimately, the Circumarctic Plantwatch program will enable more sound and informed management of fragile northern ecosystems in a changing climate. By communicating the status and trends of these key ecosystem indicators (plants) to citizens and decision makers through newsletters, website and public presentations, Circumarctic Plantwatch also meets IPY’s objective to include education and outreach as an integral part of any project. As well, a free and open data exchange via the proposed Circumarctic Plantwatch website follows IPY’s guidelines on data management.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Theme 1 – The current state of the polar environment The project will provide baseline data on the current status of spring phenology in flowering plants for comparison in future years. Theme 2 - Change in the polar regions The project will monitor the impacts of climate change on flowering plants, communicate findings to researchers and communities across the circumpolar north, and at lower latitudes, and thereby allow improved prediction of future changes. Theme 3 - Polar-global linkages and interaction The project will allow broad-scale assessment of similarities and differences in the impacts of climate change on flowering plants and the processes that are affected by these impacts. By housing the data in a central location an ongoing legacy of information on changes in northern ecosystems due to climate change will be available to scientists and educators.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Potential partners (in communication/developing connections): - Dr. Rein Ahas University of Tartu Estonia - Prof. Dag Klaveness Dept. of Biology Limnology Oslo, Norway - Dr. Greg Henry Chair, International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) Canadian Tundra and Taiga Experiment (CANTTEX) University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada - Dr. Annette Menzel Lehrstuhl für Bioklimatologie und Immissionsforschung München, Germany

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
We would like to see observers in Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Alaska and expansion across northern Canada.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 03/07-07/07      03/08-07/08      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
Yes. It will leave a database to house future observations, accessible to all participants. There will also be a website in place where scientists, observers and educators may observe the results. As well it will leave trained observers throughout the circumpolar north as well as others from elsewhere (e.g. from southern universities) who work in the North each summer.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Some observers will obtain support from existing research and monitoring sites; there is potential to utilize sites that are part of existing monitoring networks, such as ITEX, and in Canada, EMAN. Observers will be conducting the research in their “backyards” or while at existing research and monitoring sites.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This pre-proposal has been reviewed and is being submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee (CSC). Ongoing discussions will integrate this pre-proposal into a larger network of related national and international initiatives. The CSC has initially sorted this pre-proposal into: Ecosystems Terrestrial Processes

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
YES
Circumarctic Plantwatch will expand the existing Plantwatch North program. Plantwatch North builds upon the national Plantwatch program which was initiated in 1995 and is coordinated by Environment Canada’s Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN) and the Canadian Nature Federation. There are now regional Plantwatch coordinators in every province and territory of Canada.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The Plantwatch North coordinator will manage the initial phase of the project, supported by a steering committee comprised of the five regional Plantwatch North coordinators, the Alberta Plantwatch coordinator, and the EMAN-North Coordinator. After international partnerships are developed, the steering committee will be expanded to include membership from each participating country/region. This expanded steering committee will then decide how the overall project will be organized and managed.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Since Plantwatch is a program that relies on citizen scientists, education and outreach is a necessary part of any work done – in training the observers, by having observers enter their data on the website and seeing it mapped realtime, and by ongoing communication through newsletters and website postings. A clear plan for education, outreach, and communication activities would be provided in a full proposal.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
We would like to see a central repository for all the phenological data collected under Circumarctic Plantwatch. As the data is entered on the website, it will be available to any visitors to the website. The physical location of the database would have to be negotiated between Circumarctic Plantwatch participants. A clear plan for management of project data would be provided in a full proposal.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
We propose that each country/region participating in the program will be responsible for specific training and recruitment of observers in their own regions, and will make a contribution to program coordination, data management and website development. Additional funding will have to be found for central data housing and management, website development and maintenance and coordination of the international efforts.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The Circumarctic Plantwatch project will meet the following IPY criteria: 1. Makes significant advances within 3 of the IPY themes; 2. Involves the cricumarctic for the duration of IPY; 3. Potentially involves Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Alaska and northern Canada in a circumarctic collaboration; 4. Presents a viable management plan outlined in section 1.3; 7. Commits to access for all to a central data management system for Circumarctic Plantwatch; 8. Education, outreach and communication activities are an integral part of the Circumarctic Plantwatch program; 9. Citizen scientists are the polar researchers of the future.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Lori Schroeder
Yukon Conservation Society
Box 302 Hawkins St.
Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 1X6
Canada

Tel: (867) 668-5678
Mobile:
Fax: (867) 668-6637
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information