The RMBL Phenology Project brings together long-term studies on flowers, pollinators and climate to discover how climate affects phenology (the timing of biological events) and how climate-induced changes in phenology may influence plant and pollinator communities and the ecosystem services they provide.
Our science is enriched by the participation of science enthusiasts of diverse backgrounds, including university and community college faculty, students from high school through postdoctoral studies, and K-12 teachers.
Location. This project takes place at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) in Gothic, Colorado (elevation: 9,500 ft) in the West Elk Mountains.
Flowers. Drs. Nora Underwood, Brian Inouye, and David Inouye lead a team of researchers working on the wildflower portion of the project. Researchers count flowers of every species in permanent plots about every other day during the growing season. Nine plots have been followed since 1973, 12 more since 1974, and others have been added more recently. In all, researchers record the flowering phenology of over 150 plant species.
Bees. Since 2009, Dr. Becky Irwin and her team have studied the phenology, diversity, and abundance of wild bees near RMBL. Using hand nets and visual observations, researchers count and identify bees while making sure to note what kinds of flowers they visit. This way, they can observe how bees’ preferences for flowers may change over time. Solitary bees are collected using colored 'bee bowls'. So far they have identified about 200 species of native bees in the RMBL vicinity.
Communities and Ecosystem. The team is measuring the abundance of every plant species in the long-term plots to explore how phenological shifts affect plant communities, and using NDVI to estimate plant community productivity. The team is also collecting information on plant traits that might influence how plants respond to climate, and for a few species, detailed individual plant demography. The project is also linking above-ground and below-ground phenology, with measures of root phenology and soil processes led by Dr. Aimee Classen.
Climate. Long-time Gothic resident billy barr has been collecting climate and animal arrival data since 1974. barr started measuring the amount of snow and first sightings of animals coming out of hibernation in the spring as way to pass the boring winter months. Over the years, his decades-long climate dataset has became invaluable to RMBL researchers.
Flowers. Drs. Nora Underwood, Brian Inouye, and David Inouye lead a team of researchers working on the wildflower portion of the project. Researchers count flowers of every species in permanent plots about every other day during the growing season. Nine plots have been followed since 1973, 12 more since 1974, and others have been added more recently. In all, researchers record the flowering phenology of over 150 plant species.
Bees. Since 2009, Dr. Becky Irwin and her team have studied the phenology, diversity, and abundance of wild bees near RMBL. Using hand nets and visual observations, researchers count and identify bees while making sure to note what kinds of flowers they visit. This way, they can observe how bees’ preferences for flowers may change over time. Solitary bees are collected using colored 'bee bowls'. So far they have identified about 200 species of native bees in the RMBL vicinity.
Communities and Ecosystem. The team is measuring the abundance of every plant species in the long-term plots to explore how phenological shifts affect plant communities, and using NDVI to estimate plant community productivity. The team is also collecting information on plant traits that might influence how plants respond to climate, and for a few species, detailed individual plant demography. The project is also linking above-ground and below-ground phenology, with measures of root phenology and soil processes led by Dr. Aimee Classen.
Climate. Long-time Gothic resident billy barr has been collecting climate and animal arrival data since 1974. barr started measuring the amount of snow and first sightings of animals coming out of hibernation in the spring as way to pass the boring winter months. Over the years, his decades-long climate dataset has became invaluable to RMBL researchers.
