Declining phenology observations in Japan

By Richard B. Primack 

“Do your work, and finish it. If you know how to begin, you will know when to end.”
Henry David Thoreau in Reform Papers.
 
The phenology observations being recorded by the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) represent one of the most outstanding phenological data sets in the world and is certainly the best in East Asia. Since 1953, the JMA has been gathering data on over 100 phenological events (involving 34 plant species and 23 animal species) at 105 weather stations spanning Japan’s large latitudinal and climatic range. 
 

Monitoring of first flowering times of Japanese cherry trees (Prunus x yedoensis, Someiyoshino) in Tokyo will be continued.

Unfortunately, in November 2020 the JMA announced plans to dramatically reduce monitoring to just 6 plant phenology stages at 9 sites and eliminating animal observations altogether.   

First singing of bush warblers (Cettia diphone), which will be discontinued if the proposed cuts are implemented.

In a recent article, we describe a new approach to maintain the program, shifting the monitoring responsibility to citizen science organizations and other government departments. Some of the phenology observation sites could be moved to nearby parks and nature reserves.  
 
Doi, H., Higuchi, H., Kobori, H. et al. Declining phenology observations by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Nat Ecol Evol (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-021-01459-3