Capturing California's Flowers: Using Digital Images to Investigate Phenological Change in a Biodiversity Hotspot

Digitization TCN: Capturing California's Flowers: Using Digital Images to Investigate Phenological Change in a Biodiversity Hotspot (CAP)

CCF TCN
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Project Summary

Flowering time is an important biological phenomenon, affecting human societies through its effects on agricultural crops, pollinators, pests, and biodiversity. Given the sensitivity of flowering times to climatic conditions, a thorough understanding of how plants respond to changing environments is necessary for predicting the consequences for pollinators, herbivores, parasites, and plant populations. A record of historical flowering times is found within the nation's herbaria. This award establishes a thematic collection network (TCN) dedicated to understanding flowering time shifts in the California flora. California has the most diverse native flora of any state in the U.S., containing more than one-third of all U.S. plant species. The state is a biodiversity hotspot due to the high number of endemic species that are also threatened. The Capturing California's Flowers (CAP) TCN will record flowering times from and create images of over 900,000 herbarium specimens from the oldest records, the most diverse families, and most threatened families in California. Twenty-two institutions spanning the state, including public universities, state agencies, museums, and botanic gardens, will participate in these efforts. This project will generate data that will increase our understanding of flowering time shifts - a critical need for agriculturalists, conservation biologists, plant taxonomists, land managers, and wildlife biologists.

Digitization of each specimen in the CAP TCN will result in a high-resolution image, a databased record of collection metadata, a georeferenced point, and the reproductive status of the specimen. New tools will be developed for the public to search and display phenological data through a Symbiota portal interface. The CAP TCN will develop novel data standards for capturing and sharing trait data from specimens. Building on already successful national and regional programs, the CAP TCN will partner with schools, universities, botanical clubs, and the general public to crowd source phenological measurements through online expeditions, workshops, new college courses, and K-12 educational programs. The CAP TCN will provide a historical record of plants currently being monitored through the National Phenology Network and other regional programs. Finally, this award will expand efforts to train the "next generation" of museum curators, collectors, and researchers.

Project Leadership

Project sponsor: California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (NSF Award #1802301)

Principal Investigator (PI): Jennifer Yost
Project Manager: Katie Pearson
Data Manager: Jason Alexander

Project Collaborators

California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo

Jennifer Yost (Lead PI), California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (NSF Award #1802301)

University of California - Berkeley

Brent Mischler, (PI), University of California - Berkeley (NSF Award #1802163)

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

Christopher Guiliams, (PI) Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (NSF Award #1802176)

San Jose State University

Benjamin Carter, (PI), San Jose State University (NSF Award #1802177)

California State University, Fresno

Katherine E. Waselkov, (PI), California State University, Fresno (NSF Award #1802178)

San Diego State University

Michael G. Simpson, (PI), San Diego State University (NSF Award #1802180)
Lluvia Flores-Renteria (Co-PI), San Diego State University

University of California - Santa Barbara

Susan J. Mazur, (PI), University of California - Santa Barbara (NSF Award #1802181)
Katja Seltmann (Co-PI), University of California - Santa Barbara

California State University, Chico

Colleen Hatfield, (PI), California State University, Chico (NSF Award #1802182)

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

Mare Nazaire, (PI), Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (NSF Award #1802183)
Lucinda McDade (co-PI), Claremont Graduate University

Humboldt State University

Michael R. Mesler, (PI), Humboldt State University (NSF Award #1802185)

San Diego Natural History Museum

Layla Aerne Haines, (PI), San Diego Natural History Museum (NSF Award #1802186)
Jon Rebman, (co-PI), San Diego Natural History Museum

University of California - Riverside

Amy Litt, (PI), University of California - Riverside (NSF Award #1802188)

California State University, Los Angeles

Kirsten Fisher, (PI), California State University, Los Angeles (NSF Award #1802191)

California State University, Long Beach

Amanda E. Fisher, (PI),California State University, Long Beach (NSF Award #1802192)

California State University, Northridge

Paul S. Wilson, (PI), California State University, Northridge (NSF Award #1802194)

University of California - Los Angeles

Philip Rundel, (PI), University of California - Los Angeles (NSF Award #1802199)

California State University, Fullerton

Joshua P. Der, (PI), California State University, Fullerton (NSF Award #1802200)
Jochen Schenk, (Co-PI), California State University, Fullerton

University of California - Davis

Daniel Potter, (PI), University of California - Davis (NSF Award #1802203)

University of California - Irvine

Peter A. Bowler, (PI), University of California - Irvine (NSF Award #1802312)