The Swamp School

Wetland ecologist Ralph Tiner (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) is still compiling observations on start and finish of the “growing season” from across the country and your participation is invited. Growing season is used in wetland delineation to indicate the time of year when inundation and soil saturation have a critical effect on plants. Moreover, with increasing interest in documenting the effects of climate change, this information will also be valuable for tracking long-term phenological changes.

Visible signs of the beginning of the growing season include bud break, greening up of vegetation (e.g., leaf or shoot emergence, leaf-out, and greening of evergreen leaves that were reddish in winter like cranberry, leatherleaf, and dewberries), first bloom, and opening of catkins. Signs of the end of the growing season include leaf drop in the fall and herbaceous plant die-back due to killing frost. Some plants flower (e.g., witch hazel asters, and goldenrods) or produce spores (e.g., clubmosses) in late fall and these observations are also requested. Observations for both wetland and upland plants are wanted.

To participate just send an email to: Ralph_Tiner@fws.gov with “Growing Season Study” in the email subject block. You will then receive a standard form (word document) to record your observations.

This is planned as a multi-year investigation, so for regions where the growing season is year-round or has already commenced, fall observations would be welcomed this year and observations of both spring and fall reported for future years. If you have recorded observations from previous or similar ongoing investigations, that information is of interest.

A summary of the observations reported to date will be prepared later this year.

Thanks to all who are willing to help!