Preproposal for Global Climate Change Education:
Research Experiences, Teaching & Learning.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Coordinating team:

• John Pickering, Insect ecologist, University of Georgia (PI).
  
• John Ascher, Bee biologist, American Museum of Natural History.
  
• Gretchen Lebuhn, Great Sunflower Project, San Francisco State University.
  
• Nancy Lowe, Outreach coordinator, Discover Life.
  
• Mike Mueller, Curricula development, University of Georgia.
  

Plant and pollinator interactions are vital to ecosystem health. Because global temperatures are warming, organisms whose developmental cues are tied to temperature may emerge earlier in the seaso n. In plant-pollinator systems, temporal mismatches may occur when temperature is a more important cue for flowering and photoperiodicity is a more important cue for pollinator emergence, or vice versa. Spatial mismatches may occur if warming causes differential migration.

There is little known about the effects of climate change on pollination systems. So far there is more evidence for temporal decoupling than for spatial mismatches. Preliminary data suggest that p lant species that flower early in the season appear more susceptible to temporal mismatches. It is also apparent that bumblebees have advanced their spring flight times about 2 weeks, from 2001 to 2007.

Using interactive web technology, we will partner with teachers to gather high quality data about the effects of climate change on pollinators. Our project has two major goals. The first is to add ress questions that will help us understand climate change and plant-pollinator interactions. The second, equally important, is to enhance education by mentoring high-quality ecological research.

Our questions are both immediate and longitudinal. We will find out which pollinators are visiting which plants, where, and when, and compare our findings to historical data. The location and temp oral data will be matched with NASA EOS data such as precipitation, surface temperature, surface wetness, atmospheric humidity, and atmospheric temperature, as well as NOAA NCDC data. Because plan t and pollinator responses in cold versus warm climates may differ, we will gather data across altitudinal and latitudinal gradients.

We will begin a longitudinal study to look for long-term effects. For example, distributional shifts may take longer to occur than seasonal ones. Genetic shifts that might compensate for temporal mismatches may not appear rapidly enough to prevent extinctions. Possibly generalist pollinators will fill gaps vacated by specialists. However, without long-term study, it is too early to know.

We will use the web-based tools on Discover Life (www.discoverlife.org) to network study sites and gather data. These tools link photographs, species information, time and place data, maps, and id entification guides. Our current large-scale projects include the Lost Ladybug and Great Sunflower projects.

Our projects engage K16 classes in research. We help teachers integrate these projects into their state standards for teaching science. Because of the rigorous protocols for data collection and cl arity of instructions, the data are high quality and valuable to researchers. Discover Life makes data available to the public. Teachers can mine data sets and help students to form their own ques tions and do original research.

We propose to partner with K16 classes across the United States, focusing on schools with underserved populations. We will help participants to create and test their own hypotheses with data they collect locally and access from Discover Life, NASA and NOAA.

Our outreach coordinator maintains close contact with participants through frequent meetings and email. The primary investigators are also closely involved. They lead workshops, ensure protocols a re followed, answer questions, and suggest follow-up investigations.

Our proposal addresses the impact of climate change on pollination with a network of study sites and rigorous research protocols. It engages educators and students in original research.