Question Re: Observing Leaf Color Intensity

[Allison Bordewick]

Hi All,

I'm a new phenology project lead and I just received an excellent question from one of my volunteers.  I've looked at the phenophase definition guides and I'm not finding a clear answer.  I'm hoping someone can help me to answer this:

"For "Colored Leaves" Intensity.....

Say, for example, I'm standing in front of a Redbud that has lost half of it's leaves.  Of the REMAINING leaves (that are still on) 40% of leaf tissue has changed to yellow and 60% is still green.

Do I record what is in front of me on THAT DAY (which, in this case would be bin 25-49%  because it's 40%), or do I take into consideration ALL of the leaves that were on the tree during the summer  (using my memory) which would make the intensity 70% (bin 50 -  74%)."

I'm assuming the intensity measure for leaf color would be reported for the leaves remaining on the tree, but I would like to verify with someone.

Thank you for your help,

Allison Bordewick

[Fayer, Liz]

Hi Allison

If you are using your phone, please go to the tree you are collecting data from and go to colored leaves. Hit the little i for information and it explains in a gray box "what percentage of the potential canopy space is full with non green leaf color?"

So you use the potential canopy space.  

Please wait for others to respond too. If I am remembering, there is a great tutorial on how to visualize this that may help also! I remember seeing it in class!

Nice work!

Liz

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From: 'Allison Bordewick' via Nature’s Notebook Community Forum <natures-notebook-co...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2022 9:10:56 AM
To: Nature’s Notebook Community Forum <natures-notebook-co...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [EXT] [LPL Community] Question Re: Observing Leaf Color Intensity

 

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[Kathy McGlathery]

Hi Alison,

I agree with Liz that the information found through the information button is very helpful. This phenophase is tricky for us every year. The colored leaves percent is in comparison with a full green canopy. The best advice I have heard is to not overthink it and answer the question asked. That is a difficult ask for those of us who always ask “Why?” 😊

The most helpful guidance I have seen is now included in the new Observer Certification modules 3 and 4 at the top of your Nature’s Notebook Observation Deck which you can reach through the website, not the smartphone app. I am about halfway through module 3 and it is addressing this very issue about colored leaves. Module 4 focuses on Intensity, but I haven’t gotten there yet.

Also there is a Nature’s Notebook Nugget on this subject https://www.usanpn.org/nn/observe/nugget4

The colors are incredible here right now. I hope yours are too.

Happy observing!
Kathy

> On Oct 20, 2022, at 11:43 AM, Fayer, Liz <Liz....@bhsu.edu> wrote:
>
> Hi Allison
> If you are using your phone, please go to the tree you are collecting data from and go to colored leaves. Hit the little i for information and it explains in a gray box "what percentage of the potential canopy space is full with non green leaf color?"
> So you use the potential canopy space.
> Please wait for others to respond too. If I am remembering, there is a great tutorial on how to visualize this that may help also! I remember seeing it in class!
> Nice work!
> Liz
>
> Get Outlook for iOS

> From: 'Allison Bordewick' via Nature’s Notebook Community Forum <natures-notebook-co...@googlegroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2022 9:10:56 AM
> To: Nature’s Notebook Community Forum <natures-notebook-co...@googlegroups.com>
> Subject: [EXT] [LPL Community] Question Re: Observing Leaf Color Intensity
>
> Hi All,
>
> I'm a new phenology project lead and I just received an excellent question from one of my volunteers. I've looked at the phenophase definition guides and I'm not finding a clear answer. I'm hoping someone can help me to answer this:
>
> "For "Colored Leaves" Intensity.....
>
> Say, for example, I'm standing in front of a Redbud that has lost half of it's leaves. Of the REMAINING leaves (that are still on) 40% of leaf tissue has changed to yellow and 60% is still green.
>
> Do I record what is in front of me on THAT DAY (which, in this case would be bin 25-49% because it's 40%), or do I take into consideration ALL of the leaves that were on the tree during the summer (using my memory) which would make the intensity 70% (bin 50 - 74%)."
>
> I'm assuming the intensity measure for leaf color would be reported for the leaves remaining on the tree, but I would like to verify with someone.
>
> Thank you for your help,
> Allison Bordewick
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nature’s Notebook Community Forum" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to natures-notebook-communit...@googlegroups.com.
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>
> --
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> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/natures-notebook-community-of-practice/DM6PR01MB51612C007A483D2B704AAA2A942A9%40DM6PR01MB5161.prod.exchangelabs.com.

[Ellen Denny]

Hi Allison and all,

Yes, it is in comparison to a full canopy. If you have only 50% of the canopy full with leaves and only 40% of that is colored leaves, it would be 50% x 40%….0.50 x 0.40 = 0.20…. So 20% of the potential canopy is full with colored leaves and you’d report the 5-24% bin. 

Perhaps another tip to help you remember is that the intensity bin for “Colored leaves” can never be larger than that for “Leaves”. If all the leaves on the tree are colored, but there is less than 5% of the potential canopy full with leaves, then “Colored leaves” will also be less than 5%.

As Kathy said, we now have some more guidance in Module 4 of the Observation Certification Course. I did not explain it in the same way there with the mathematical equation, but hopefully the photos will help!

Ellen

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/natures-notebook-community-of-practice/B5E43909-1E7C-42F3-9BA3-B1902318B398%40gmail.com.

Ellen Denny (she/her)

Monitoring Design & Data Coordinator

USA National Phenology Network, University of Arizona

University of Arizona Land Acknowledgment

www.usanpn.org

eden...@gmail.com

el...@usanpn.org

I work from my home in Kittery, Maine on N’dakinna, which is the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present. I acknowledge and honor with gratitude the land and waterways and the alnobak (people) who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout the generations.

[Allison Bordewick]

Hello All,

Thank you very much for your guidance!  This is so helpful and I will be sure to share it with my group of volunteers.  We're nearing the end of our fall colors up here in Minnesota, but we've had a spectacular display despite the drought.  Happy observing to you all!

-Allison Bordewick

Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture

University of Minnesota

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Allison Bordewick

she/ her

Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

bord...@umn.edu