Apologies for Cross-Posting
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A joint meeting of the
Reading Local Group and Environmental Statistics Section of the Royal
Statistical Society
and the Walker Institute, University of Reading.
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Wednesday 26th November, 3.30 to 5.00pm,
Tea and coffee from 3pm in Agriculture snack bar
Nike Lecture Theatre, Agriculture Building, Earley Gate, University of
Reading, Reading RG6 6FN
see http://www.reading.ac.uk/about/find/about-findindex.asp
<http://www.reading.ac.uk/about/find/about-findindex.asp> for how to
get here.
Speakers:
Dr Tim Sparks, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Harmless pastime or serious science? What does phenology tell us about
the impacts of a changing climate?
Dr Sophie des Clers , Environmental Change Research Centre, UCL
Salmon, dragonflies and hotter waters: insights from the Environment
Agency Surface Water Temperature Archive
To get an idea about numbers, we will be grateful if you let us know
whether you plan to attend
(email: [log in to unmask])
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Further Information about Tim Spark's talk:
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Harmless pastime or serious science? What does phenology tell us about
the impacts of a changing climate?
ABSTRACT: Monitoring the timings of the seasons is a simple yet highly
enjoyable activity. For this reason the UK has a wealth of data going
back more than two centuries. These data take many forms; from an
individual's records of the timing of a single event, such as frog
spawning in their garden pond, to records from national networks of
protocol-controlled data collection. This lecture will cover some of the
history of phenology, pausing to reveal the sometimes peculiar sources
of data, and give an overview of current recording. Examples will be
given of the changes already taking place, despite relatively modest
climate warming so far. In many species, phenological response to a
changing climate is much stronger and much easier to detect than other
climate impacts. Consequently it is highly important in raising
awareness of climate change, in getting people involved in monitoring,
and in identifying possible adverse consequences of future warming.
Dr Tim Sparks is an environmental scientist at the Centre for Ecology
and Hydrology at Monks Wood. He was instrumental in resurrecting a
national network of recorders of phenology (the timing of events) that
is now, in partnership with the Woodland Trust, in its tenth year. He
has undertaken extensive research on the impacts of climate change on
plants and animals, with an emphasis on changes in phenology. To this
end he makes considerable use of current and historic data and
collaborates widely, both within the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
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