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Phytophenology: a net of schoolsThis work describes an experience that links biology and ICT. Every pupil had to observe a tree during one year (from autumn to summer), observing how leaves, flowers and fruits change with the seasons. With a special card, he registered its observations and at school he exchanged its data with other pupils that lived in other Italian towns. This work was based on the book "Come guardare le piante, ossia…la fitofenologia - Phytophenology for Children", by Mr. Gianni Anselmi.
"Phytophenology for Children"
After ritual greetings the Mayor told me that the day before he received one of those sages that are used to write in an elaborate style, full of incomprehensible words. The sage came bringing a scientific booklet, a "little thing" for children of the town. The Mayor understood the importance of the thing, he was interested in this very instructing matter and he was disposed to spread it, but the booklet was written in too elaborate a way for children. Even the title was strange : "Phytophenology" So, since it is about botany, the Mayor asked me to help him. "No problem Sir" I answered "I know everything about this and I can explain it to your children, don't worry"
Now pay attention, please ! Mine is an official
task and you have to follow the reasoning otherwise they will
say that a blackbird can make fun of you too.
First of all phytophenology isn't a swear to call some cheeky boys, but it is a scientific term. It means How to watch the vegetable world. It is composed by two words: Phito that means vegetable and phenology that means science of watching (remember: Phenomena = what appears). You say that you ever watch plants, flowers and leaves and so it isn't necessary to explain anything about. It isn't true. Ignorant ! I said scientific watching, with an analytic method, so watching you can learn something, to enrich your mind and not to be unlearned, as you are now, about nature, above all. Do you understand ?
Now I'll try to get you to understand the meaning of "watching nature". To begin with I'll remind you that the first experts in this science were just primitive men. ( Scientists, though they are the only ones, call the animal "man" as "Homo Sapiens" meaning "Knowing man". Really this is one of their beliefs that the rest of the animal or vegetable word doesn't always share. Far from this ! Blackbird's Word). Your ancestors on hunt observed plants and
the way they developed and the places they grew in and they got
information as regards the directions of herds, times of migrations, We don't talk about the first farmers who had
to understand the vital cycle of a single plant to reproduce
it for their needs, in the right season and the fittest place
( You can't grow corn if yon don' t recognize it). They were real observers. Their descendants, modern farmers, know well how many notions were passed by forefathers in this field and they know as well the need to watch carefully the marks of nature if you want to get richer and safer crops.
Stop with talks. Let's go back to our subject
to understand something real. You'll see, it'll be a simple thing. With a teacher like me and geniuses like you, phytophenology will soon become a game. To use less words and more facts, will we begin with an example ? I'm sure in your school yard there is my favorite tree ( if not, plant it immediately - provide for me !). We'll begin the explanation by watching it : the "Prunus avium" that is "birds' tree" (Ah, ah, now I start again with big words !). I apologize and explain : we are talking of the cherry tree, a fruit you like very much. Instead for me it's a gluttony, so if in summer you see me in the branches of such a tree full of these cherished fruits, remember you must pay me for the lesson I'm giving you, So don't disturb me, let me eat in peace ! When does the cherry tree bloom ? "In spring" You'll say.-Right- But, as all know, spring doesn't arrive everywhere at the some time, so me must specify where the tree we are watching is ! Everybody stop ! ...here are the first two data to specify and
records : place and date. Wait a moment, please. For this I'll be helped by my friend Worm (called flee because when he sees me he flies away, who knows why !) : he'll mark on a blackboard what me must note. You must help him repeating what he does, so, if he made a mistake, you could correct him. Ready ? Let's go. The place is marked ( call it noticing station which, observing only a sample, can be defined elementary station...really elementary !). We'll define simple station the place we watch some plants of the same species from ; we'll define complex station the place we watch all plants. (From the last operation is left to our adult friends, we'll be glad with a simple tree... we are all too good !) Go
Watch our cherry tree : in the cold season its branches are bare. Well, well... Watch out ! Our worm Flee starts marking something o the blackboard. Watch well... he's marked three round zeros...
What's the meaning ? It's simple ! It means there's nothing to observe, all zero. With the good season plants wake up, our Ms
Bee starts to look around On the branches of our tree there are the first buds.. and Worm Flee marks on his blackboard.
Don't forget to write the date, it's important ! Oh ! I forgot to tell you : this event is called by expert "initial phase" or " pioneer phase" the moment when the first individuals (non vegetal ones) come out, like pioneers in the wild. Some buds open - here are the first flowers - the diligent worm marks :
...meaning in the plant there are buds and flowers. Imitate him, marking always the date of observation, sure ? With Ms Bee we continue every day to watch the cherry, to study (we), to work (she) (She must prepare honey for her little ones and also for you... gluttons). At a moment we see some flowers begin to wither... Worm comes to mark :
Now there are buds, open flowers and withered flowers, all there on the some plant. This is the phase of "phenoclimax" meaning the optional moment of botanical phenomenon, in the case, blooming. Summer' s near and buds disappear...Then Worm
Later only withered flowers
This is the phase of "remnants " or "terminals" when the blooming extinguishes. Finally there are no buds, no open or withered flowers.
Here, at the date we mark, the blooming cycle is concluded for our cherry : Will we sum up what our friend Worm marked with simple marks in a table ?
Do you see hon simple ? Attention, because with this little research we learnt a lot : Let's see something together : -We know when flowering started in our school garden ; - we know when it extended most ; - we know the exact moment of the terminal phase ; - last, we surely know the date when the phenomenon really ended. Whit the help of a table we put this together. This table is the graphic vision of the sequel of our observations on the cherry flowers.
Well ! Let's prepare a new table to watch the leaves to follow both flowers and leaves. The research will he more complete. Every body glad ? No ? What's there ? Excuse me, boys : My neighbor Sparrow Selega remarks if we want our recordings to be complete, we must add observations on the plant fruits we are very keen on. So... flowers, leaves, fruit. Three
table to observe, mark, date. To help you I asked worm Flee to give an example preparing the summing table of all researches ( s. p. 19) as you see, our friend offers an example using an annual scheme to follow the development you see in the season span. -now you can mark : - in the first column how the plant puts buds for leaves ( line 2) then the leaves (line 3 ) ; - In the record column how in the meantime it begins the production of buds for flowers. Observing the first two columns ( line 3 ) you see in the tree leaves and flowers together... Going on we see the flowers tend to wither leaving room for fruit-formation... ; ( line 4 ) - Now there are only withered flowers and fruits tend to ripen ... ; ( line 6 ) - the fruits are ripe... ; - at the end (line 7 ) fruits dry ( we don't allow this, because we eat them earlier ! But now we are scientists and with a scientists lie we say we left them on their spot) ; -only leaves remain and they tend to wither away and fall (lines 9, 10, 11 ) . At the end in winter ( line 12 ) on our splendid tree that bore many cherries, there are no leaves, flowers on fruits ; so it goes to sleep dreaming of the fine season. ...damn it !
Oh ! Sorry, I didn't want... I know a good blackbird must say " gosh", but I must fast all winter . No one cares ..... poor blackbirds. Hey ! Do you understand, little rascals
who feed on panettone at Xmas ? Remember to let some crumbs on the window (a slice, better- don' t be miser ! ) for us poor birds starving in the cold. Let's hope you remember and back to science. ... more and more difficult.
Now I want to improve your
know ledge reminding what we told at the start, that we can watch
scientifically, or better in a phytophenologic way, a
tree, but likewise you can observe a corn-ear or a geranium-
pot yourteacher has on the sill.
Also : you can remark
a single being ( a single plant ) or more beings ( more plants
),
 which
can be of the same or different species : for example an
ear on a corn-field, a grass-tuft or a meadow... What you ask in my ear is =What
use is this ? To evaluate the look of a vegetable in the
time flow ?
It's not so. Phytophenology (now we are learned and we can use this name) is a useful science and the farther you go in time, the more you can use it.
An example of this can amaze
you. For the photos of the earth from
 satellites
you use the colour language. Red indicates the presence of energy
or heat. A case provoked an alarm : from photos it resulted
a certain area was interested by sudden changes in the quality
of surface colour. What was it really ? A sudden flowering
of poppies in corn fields. As you know they have a wonderful
red hue.. so the photo did not record a rise in energy but an
increase of poppies ! So it is useful to know when
the poppy flowers to avoid blunders !
Like scientists let's analyze
the fields where the observation of vegetal rhythms is applied.
The first is scientific research :
We must use some difficult words since it regards specific scientific
problems for different researches.
Here are the principal :
phytosociologic research : it studies the behaviour of vegetal associations, for example a wood, a clearing to see the plants with similar behaviours and their elements. eco - physiologic research : it studies the relations between species and their environments (you understand a plant develops differently in a pure environment and in a polluted one ; if we know the differences, observing the plant we know if the environment is polluted or not). The second field of utilization is the technical- applicative that we divide in : agricultural and forest sector : there is a have choice ! You can observe the various wild species, the autoctonons ones (those which brave lived in a place for hundreds or thousands of years) ; you can study isolated environments, like hot-houses, or the relations between flowering ad pollinating insects (the great specialist is Ms Bee) and you can go on and on. medical sanitary sector : in this field too there are important applications. Think of that illness known as allergy to pollens and you'll understand the importance of knowing precisely the moment when they are present in an environment. I could continue for lon but I don't want to bore you ; I see someone is yawning.
Then I asked Ma' Crane, a great expert in this field, to make a special service for you : If you can find agreements with a far place ( a school on the hill or near the sea or in another country) you can lead a contemporaneous phytophenologic experience on the same vegetable living in two different places. Think of the possible comparisons ! You'll have so many surprises ! Ma' Crane will carry you works and control you or others won't cheat. Another experience may be the repetition of the experiment we have done this year in the year to come to compare the tree in two different years. Have e good work ! Wait for me ! Next year I'll return to see if my lessons worked : Today I'll return to the Mayor to get my prize : he promised to appoint me...
Master Blackbird honoris causa !
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Hello
boys, I am Blackbird Phyto (Blaphy) a botanist with a great experience
in berries and the like. The other day, while I was flying over
the city, I listened to the call whistle of my friend the Mayor.
As a good citizen I quickly planed down on the window-sill of
the town hall.
Keep
in mind that when they talk about nature, they talk about you,
so the more you know about the surrounding world, the better
you know about your self.
and
they could spot the lairs of game, the return of birds and other
useful news, and the better they were in recognizing the marks
of nature, the more skilled and lucky they were in hunt.
To
avoid mistakes let's call a real expert of flower : Ms
Bee, great worker and visitor of garden flowers many times
a day ; in winter she stays warm in the hive to get ready
for future works. Why do you ask us ? Wake up, boys. In
winter, trees are bare !
for
the new year's job.
+
means the blooming phenomenon started.
Now
I see my friend Caterpillar (said Hole because he makes holes
on leaves) moves to remark an important thing : don't look
only the flowers on a plant because they are beautiful, the leaves
are important equally, for he lives on leaves !
following,
we see leaves, flowers, withered flowers and some unripe fruit... ;(
line 5 )
taxonomic
research : it defines or differentiates the characteristics
of various species or individuals, for example the difference
between an apple-tree or a pear-tree or an apple-tree and another
apple-tree. 
Before
greeting you I let you have a gift. I asked Worm Flee to
prepare one of his tables in blank (you can copy or photocopy
it as you like). With it you can repeat what we did together,
observing a vegetal you like. 