A major problem in the field of ecology is the relative paucity of long-term datasets. Long-term records can be an extremely valuable resource in addressing pressing questions in the fields of ecology and climate change. To help address the gaps in long-term datasets, the USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) is building mechanisms for archiving and serving historical phenology datasets, including those that do not follow the USA National Phenology Network standard protocols. Examples of such historical datasets include site-specific observations from scientific studies, private journals, and bird migration observation cards. A key feature of historical datasets is that they can provide valuable time series, enabling exploration of changes through time that won’t be possible using data collected as a part of new observation networks for several more years. Additionally, historical observations can provide records for under-sampled regions or species.
Results/Conclusions
The USA-NPN National Coordinating Office (NCO) recently created a searchable dataset registry tool. Using this tool, dataset holders can input metadata describing their dataset, and potential data users can search the registry for relevant datasets. The NCO has also made several historical datasets available for download and use on the USA-NPN website.
Some notable changes have been documented from historical phenology datasets available on the USA-NPN website. Investigators have used data from the historical lilac network to document regional variation in the advancement in the onset of spring over the past several decades in the United States. Researchers have also used long-term data to describe the relationship between phenological responses to climate change and changes in the composition of plant communities in Thoreau’s Concord.