Science and Natural Systems
Welcome to a new page, Science and Natural Systems, about current,
interesting, science-based articles, websites and discoveries. The hope
is that this content will stimulate you to search out additional
information and add science facts to your thinking. You may send some
of your science discoveries, links, questions and ideas, so that we can
post them on the site.
We all practice science in our daily lives. A scientist really is a
good observer. As the following demonstrates, good observations,
coupled with the discipline to record findings systematically as data,
can contribute to the body of scientific knowledge.
Attention citizen scientists-Project Budburst needs you
A mid-May radio story on Morning Edition NPR
described
Project Budburst, a
national phenology network field campaign for citizen scientists.
Phenology is the science of appearance. Phenologists study the timing
of life cycle events in plants and animals in relation to changes in the
seasons and variation in climate. Project Budburst seeks "observers" to
chronicle natural events in their locales. When did you see the first
flowers on your lilac tree? What was the first migrating bird to appear
at your feeder this year? Even the appearance of the dandelion signals
important information about soil temperature, telling when to plant
certain seeds.
Using the online forms at the Project Budburst website, you can become a
citizen scientist, recording plant and animal events in your area. Over
time, these observations will provide key data about seasonal and
climatic changes across the United States. This website contains much
information about phenology and climate change, with downloads that
include activity guides for students, teachers and participants in the
project. For example, Project Budburst has chosen twenty-four native
wildflowers that are easy to identify and can be found in many areas
across the U.S. You can click on a flower common name and get a page
that includes information about the flower, its leaf and habitat, a
color photo and a map of where it is found. At the bottom of the page
is a section called "Did you know?" that provides interesting
information about the flower. Other categories include native
tree/shrub observation and common ornamental/weed observation.
Phenology is a centuries-old method of observation used by farmers to
maximize crop production. Gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts also use
observations of natural events to predict movements of birds,
infestations of insects and blooming events. Very detailed information
about hundreds of events in regions exists, based on careful records of
volunteer researchers.
Certain plants are known as indicator plants. Observing their life-cycle
patterns and the insects and pests associated with them has revealed
that certain stages of these organisms correspond to a certain Growing
Degree-Day values. Growing Degree-Day is a measure of the growth and
development of plants and insects, directly related to daily maximum and
minimum temperature.
Phenological data is available in every state through the state
Agricultural Extension Service. A state list and a link to that state's
extension service is available at
Wikipedia.org.
In Ohio, for
example, I can go to the Ohio Agricultural and Research Development
Center section of the Ohio
Extension service and type in my zip code at the prompt. That brings up
a summary of Phenological events based on Growing Degree-Days in my
area, beginning in the early spring with the first bloom of the silver
maple, followed by the full bloom of the dogwood, the adult emergence of
the White Pine Weevil and the egg hatch of the Eastern Tent Caterpillar.
Each event is followed by links to photos of the event, fact sheets
about the event and ways to control insect and disease infestations.
This helps me know such things as when to begin treating for pests to
reduce the overuse of chemicals and what plants might be vulnerable to
damage from a late frost.
Project Budburst is an exciting, interactive way to learn more about the
natural world. It is an opportunity to collect data from facts about
natural events to can add to thinking and discussion around climate
change. By recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of native
species each year, scientists can learn about prevailing climatic
characteristics in a region over time. This information can be compared
to historical records to illustrate the effects of climate change. The
current Budburst project runs through June 15. In 2008 the project will
begin in January.
Project Budburst joins a host of efforts worldwide to collect and
disseminate information about the climate. Citizen scientists are faced
with the challenge of sifting through this ever-growing collection of
research studies, books, TV specials and movies to find factual
information on which to base action.
A source for current information about climate issues is Climate
Connections, a
collaborative project of National Public Radio and National Geographic.
This site introduces visitors to an interactive global journey, invites
them to take the carbon challenge and discusses the real cost of coal.
It offers podcasts of stories about weather and climate, as well as
scientific studies about global warming. Also included is a test of
Global Climate IQ, station spotlights and links to sites with
information about changing ice caps, temperature shifts of the oceans,
at-risk populations of animals and much more.
We would like to hear from you about useful sites and resources you have
found to improve your knowledge and challenge your thinking about issues
of climate and the environment. Contact us at Hcpaej@aol.com.
Charles Darwin used "citizen scientists" to provide information that
helped answer many of his questions about plant and animal species. He
was an avid letter-writer and received correspondence from breeders and
farmers all over the world. He wrote seeking a variety of information,
including facts of pigeon breeding, sheep lines and plant species. He
received hundreds of return letters, providing him with key data to
support his theoretical ideas. He received skins from breeders as far
away as India. (The origin of species, 40) Darwin joined local pigeon
clubs and visited farms, asking about breeding stock and habits and
collecting observations from area farmers. His "citizen scientists"
provided key information, which he later used in "
On the origin of
species by means of natural selection," 1859,
and "The descent of man,"
1871, to support his theories.
Murray Bowen, MD, was a scientist who used extensive observation of
natural systems to formulate theory. He applied scientific principles
to the study of human behavior and developed Bowen family systems
theory, based on the idea that the human species is a product of
evolution. During World War II he began observing soldiers and their
response to war. He continued to test his ideas while working at the
Menninger Clinic, and then at the National Institute of Mental Health,
where he hospitalized and observed family groups. Key to Bowen family
systems theory is the idea that the human emotional system, which
evolved over thousands of years, acts to govern human relationship
systems. Bowen's observations of family groups led to a shift from
individual thinking about human behavior toward a systems-oriented view.
Bowen believed that science and scientific principles should guide the
development of a theory of human behavior. He taught students, faculty
and families to observe their own behavior and to use those observations
to reduce the tendency to respond to family members in automatic,
emotional ways. His thinking, writing and coaching sessions with those
working on self emphasized the ability to observe what he called the
family emotional process and to use thinking to guide behavior. You can
read more about Bowen family systems theory in Family Therapy in
Clinical Practice. [Bowen Theory Resource Store]
Hot Topic:
Lonnie Thompson, Ph.D., Ohio State University, distinguished professor
of earth sciences and glaciologist, has been named to receive the
National Medal of Science for his work to provide explicit evidence of
global climate change. Dr. Thompson and his team have made more than
fifty expeditions to ice caps and glaciers on five continents to
retrieve ice cores containing dust used to document a history of past
climate conditions around the world. Some cores date back more than
750,000 years.
The evidence that he, his wife, Ellen Mosley Thompson, geography
professor, and his research team have gathered provide evidence that the
last half-century was the warmest period in recorded history. These
measurements indicate a trend of rapidly growing warming that exceeds
normal variation seen in past centuries.
"The loss of our glaciers is the most visible evidence of global warming
we have," he says. "They store the history of many of the climate's most
crucial variables that affect the earth's systems, and their loss is
easily apparent to anyone who might take notice. "We need to remember
that glaciers have no political agenda."
Visit http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/ltmdlsci.htm for more details
about Dr. Thompson, his work and this award. His research is the
subject of the book, Thin Ice, by Mark Bowen (on Amazon)
that
chronicles the numerous expeditions Dr. Thompson and his team have made
to glaciers all over the world. A review of this book will be the
subject of the next installment of Science and Natural Systems.
