Macrophenology: A new approach for investigating large-scale phenology patterns

Richard Primack

“The discoveries which we make abroad are special and particular – those which we make at home are general & significant. The further off the nearer the surface. The nearer home the deeper.”  Henry David Thoreau in his Journal. 

In a recent paper, we describe macrophenology as an exciting new field investigating large scale patterns of the timing of biological phenomena, such as flowering, leafing out, and bird migration. Macrophenology includes responses to a variety of drivers, including global climate change, across biomes, land‐use types, and species' ranges.

Figure 1. The timing of flowering, fruiting and leafing out in red maples in response to temperature can be examined over all of eastern North America using herbarium specimens.

Macrophenology can provide exciting and novel insights due to theoretical and applied advances and emerging tools, such as the availability of digitized museum specimens and remote sensing data.  Four key areas of macrophenology have special opportunities: (1) global drivers of phenology, (2) species range limits (3) interactions and mismatches among species, and (4) ecosystem processes. 

Figure 2.  Core concepts of macrophenology and their linkages.

Macrophenology can also investigate historical biogeography, phylogenetic patterns and geographic gaps in phenology research. 

Title: Macrophenology: insights into the broad‐scale patterns, drivers, and consequences of phenology. 

Published in American Journal of Botany journal. 

DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1793

Noise in a Pandemic

By Alyssa Helmling 

Noise is inescapable in a large, bustling city like Boston, and it can be harmful to both wildlife and human health. The global COVID-19 pandemic altered the soundscape of cities as quarantine mandates led to dramatic decrease in human activity. We utilized this opportunity to study noise pollution before, during, and after the pandemic. 
 
With a student population over thirty-two thousand, the Boston University campus is typically a noisy place which we measured before the pandemic using the SPLnFFT sound meter app with iPhones. During the 2020 academic school year many students chose not to return to campus and instead took classes from home, and our new set of measurements showed that BU was now quieter. 

BU campus comes back to life as students return for an in-person school year. Photo by Cydney Scott (link).

And now that many pandemic-related restrictions had been lifted in Boston in 2021, high sound levels have returned in many areas of the BU campus. Our research demonstrates how much cities might be able to reduce harmful, pervasive noise.