Authors
Dr. Jennifer Verdolin
University of Arizona
Objective
Explore statistical evidence demonstrating an association between Saguro size and the amount of flowers it produces.
Background
The saguaro is the icon of the Sonoran Desert and an ecologically important plant. It provides habitat for many species (including the highly endangered pygmy owl), nesting sites for the Gila woodpecker, and is a source of food for moths, bats, and bees. While saguaros are characterized by columnar growth, there is an unusual growth form, the crested saguaro, that is legendary. Check out this US National Park Service video detailing this mysterious growth form. As concerns over climate change grow, monitoring the timing of important lifecycle events, called phenology, becomes more critical. Increasing temperatures and reduced precipitation during the spring in the desert Southwest of the US might cause the timing of key events, such as flowering time, to shift and occur later in the year. Such a shift might negatively impact other species that rely on the saguaro for pollen or fruit.
The Task
Use open access data from the DataONE Data Catalog to investigate whether there is evidence of a change in flowering time and duration from 2004-2013 that is correlated with saguaro size, temperature, and precipitation. [Source: Renzi, J. J., Peachey, W. D., & Gerst, K. L. (2019). A decade of flowering phenology of the keystone saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea). American Journal of Botany, 106(2), 199-210.]
The data are open access and available online along with phenology observations at: doi.org/10.5063/F1DZ06JG. Data are licensed under CC BY 4.0