Phenology is the study of the response of living organisms to seasonal changes in the environment in which they live. Seasonal changes include variations in the duration of sunlight, precipitation, temperature and other life-controlling factors.

Blooming wildflowers, migrating birds, spawning fish, flashing fireflies, thunderstorms, falling leaves, snow fall amounts, and frozen ponds are all part of the cycles of life that we experience each year. Keeping track of cyclical events like these from year to year, and how they relate to the weather patterns, is what the study of phenology is all about. 

Join the AMC in monitoring mountain plant phenology- focusing on flowering and fruiting times of targeted plants in the Appalachian mountains. Learn more by viewing our tutorials that describe why tracking biological events, such as flowering, is important and how you can help. Your trail-side observations will contribute to AMC's long-term study to track both weather patterns and plant activity in the mountains (Learn more>>). AMC is partnerning with regional and national groups (www.usanpn.org) to track plant phenology with consistent protocols and data sharing.

The animation above shows some of the phenological phases of Diapensia, an alpine plant found in the Northeast mountains above treeline.