The role of citizen science and plant phenology studies in evaluation of the local effects of climate change

Authors

  • Zoltán Alföldi Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Georgikon Campus, Institute of Wildlife Mana-gement and Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation Biology, Deák F. u. 16., H-8360 Keszthely, Hungary; e-mail: Alfoldi.Zoltan.Peter@uni-mate.hu
  • László Cseh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56617/tl.3975

Keywords:

citizen science, climate change, temperature, precipitation, local data

Abstract

Climate change is the greatest global challenge for present and future generations, destabilizing life-support systems with its diverse interrelationships and interactions. The real solutions to global problems at the local levels can only be expected through the widest possible social cohesion, the effective transmissions of the results of science to all ages and social strata. One of the best ways to do this is involving present or historical data from reliable sources of qualified and reliable amateur (citizen) scientists, which is an outstanding methodological opportunity to expand and increase the efficiency of scientific research. Therefore, citizen science has become more and more widespread within and between different disciplines in recent decades. One of the significant practical examples of this, with the persistent and accurate work of a late enthusiastic amateur data collector, Mr. László Cseh), who measured the most important local climate data (daily temperatures measured at 7 and 12 AM, and precipitation) in Csemő–Ereklyés, near Cegléd, central Hungary, for decades. We also show here the dynamics of the temperature averages in the four seasons, of which the largest increase (+2.0 °C) was measured in winter. Based on these data, we also examined the tendency of the number of hot days (Tmax = ≥ 35 °C), as well as the number of frosty (T < 0 °C) and extremely cold (T < 10 °C) days. We observed the increasing tendency in heat days, whereas the decreasing trends of frosty and extremely cold days. The comparison of these data sets with those of the national data and the possibilities of their use in explaining plant phenology shifts are presented here. Our local data sets fit well with the national trend and can increase the effectiveness of nature conservation by demonstrating the effects of climate change on plant phenology. Community science provides an opportunity for greater social recognition and acknowledgement of scientific results. To detect the complex ecological interactions of climate change in the local scale, the use of the spider orchid species is recommended also in Hungarian environmental conditions, as it is a characteristic and strictly protected species in Hungary.

References

Ábrám Ö., Biró C., Morvai E., Kovács E. 2020: A Kiskunsági Nemzeti Park Kolon-tavi törzsterülete által nyújtott ökoszisztéma-szolgáltatások értékelése, térképezése. Tájökölógiai Lapok, 18(1):1–13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56617/tl.3476

Baker, E., Drury, J. P., Judge, J., Roy, D. B., Smith, G. C., Stephens, P. A. 2021: The verification of ecological citizen science data: current approaches and future possibilities. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice 6(1):1–14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.351

Bela, Gy., Peltola, T., Young, J. C., Balázs, B., Arpin, I., Pataki, Gy., Hauck, J., Kelemen, E., Kopperoinen, L., van Herzele, A., Keune, H., Hecker, S., Suskevics, M., Roy, H. E., Itkonen, P., Kulvik, M., László, M., Basnou, C., Pino, J., Bonn, A. 2016: Learning and the transformative potential of citizen science. Conservation Biology 30(5): 990–999. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12762

CSA, 2021: Citizen Science Association, https://citizenscience.org/ (letöltve: 2022.11.25.).

Eleta, I., Galdon Clavell, G., Righi, V., Balestrini, M. 2019: The promise of participation and decision-making power in citizen science. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice 4(1): 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.171

Elliott, K. C., Rosenberg, J. 2019: Philosophical Foundations for Citizen Science. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice 4(1): 9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.155

ESSRG, 2022: Environmental Social Science Research Group, https://www.essrg.hu/ (letöltve: 2022. 11. 20.).

Fenner, M. 1998: The phenology of growth and reproduction in plants. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 1(1): 78–91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1078/1433-8319-00053

Fitchett, J. M., Grab, S. W., Thompson, D. I. 2015: Plant phenology and climate change: Progress in meth-odological approaches and application. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment 39(4): 460–482. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0309133315578940

Fraisl, D., Gold, M., Wehn, U., Campbell, J., See, L., Wardlaw, J., Moorthy, I., Arias, R., Piera, J., Oliver, J., Maso, J., Penker, M., Fritz, S. 2020: Mapping citizen science contributions to the UN sustainable development goals. Sustainability Science 15: 1735–1751. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00833-7

Goudeseune, L., Eggermont, H., Groom, Q., Le Roux, X., Paleco, C., Roy, H. E., van Noordwijk, C. G. E. 2020: Citizen science toolkit for biodiversity scientists. BiodivERsA Report. 44 p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3979343

Jacquemyn, H., Hutchings, M. J. 2015: Biological flora of the British Isles: Ophrys sphegodes. Journal of Ecology, 103: 1680–1696. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12469

Molnár V. A. 2014: A magyarországi orchideák fenológiai viszonyai. In: Molnár V.A., Bódis J., Illyés Z., Sramkó G. (szerk.): Európai orchideák, Oktatási segédanyag, Debreceni Egyetem, Debrecen, pp. 74–82.

Molnár V.A., Palkó S., Benke Sz. 2011: Pókbangó. In: Molnár V.A. (szerk.): Magyarország orchideáinak atlasza, Kossuth Kiadó, Budapest, pp. 412–416.

OMSZ, 2015: Megfigyelt hazai éghajlati változások Országos Meteorológiai Szolgálat, Budapest.

OMSZ, 2017: Útmutató növényfenológiai megfigyelésekre a MET-ÉSZ rendszerben. Országos Meteorológiai Szolgálat, Miskolc.

OMSZ, 2022: Éves és évszakos középhőmérsékletek változása. Országos Meteorológiai Szolgálat, https://www.met.hu/eghajlat/eghajlatvaltozas/megfigyelt_hazai_valtozasok/homerseklet_es_csapadektrendek/ (letöltve: 2022. 11. 30.).

OpenScientist, 2011: Finalizing a Definition of Citizen Science and Citizen Scientists. http://www.openscientist.org/2011/09/finalizing-definition-of-citizen.html (letöltve: 2022. 11. 25.).

Panitsa M, Iliopoulou, N., Petrakis, E. 2021: Citizen science, plant species, and communities’ diversity and cons-ervation on a Mediterranean biosphere reserve. Sustainability 13(17): 9925. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179925

Rasmussen, L. M., Cooper, C. 2019: Citizen Science Ethics. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice 4(1): 5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.235

Primack, R. B., Miller-Rushing, A. J. 2012: Uncovering, Collecting, and Analyzing Records to Investigate the Ecological Impacts of Climate Change: A Template from Thoreau’s Concord. Bioscience 62(2): 170–181. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2012.62.2.10

Rambonnet, L., Vink, S. C., Land-Zandstra, A. M., Bosker, T. 2019: Making citizen science count: Best practices and challenges of citizen science projects on plastics in aquatic environments. Marine Pollution Bulletin 145: 271–277. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.056

Robbirt, K. M., Davy, A. J., Hutchings, M. J., Roberts, D. L. 2011: Validation of biological collections as a source of phenological data for use in climate change studies: a case study with the orchid Ophrys sphegodes. Journal of Ecology 99: 235–241. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01727.x

SCU, 2013: Science for Environment Policy In-depth Report: Environmental Citizen Science. Report pro-duced for the European Commission DG Environment, Science Communication Unit, University of the West of England, Bristol, http://ec.europa.eu/science-environment-policy (letöltve: 2022.11.25.).

Surányi D. 1992: Éden a Duna-Tisza közi Pest megyében. Cegléd és környékének természetvédelmi érté-kei. TIT Pest Megyei Egyesülete, Budapest.

Turbé, A., Barba, J., Pelacho, M., Mugdal, S., Robinson, L. D., Serrano-Sanz, F., Sanz, F., Tsinaraki, C., Rubio, J-M., Schade, S. 2019: Understanding the citizen science landscape for European environmental policy: An assessment and recommendations. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice 4(1): 34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/cstp.239

Vohland, K, Land-Zandstra, A., Ceccaroni, L., Lemmens, R., Perelló, J., Ponti, M., Samson, R., Wagenknecht, K. 2021: The science of citizen science. Springer Nature, ISBN 978-3-030-58277-7, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58278-4

Published

2023-11-29

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

The role of citizen science and plant phenology studies in evaluation of the local effects of climate change. (2023). JOURNAL OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY | TÁJÖKOLÓGIAI LAPOK , 20(Suppl. 2), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.56617/tl.3975

Similar Articles

1-10 of 154

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.