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Ecologists have increasingly recognized opportunities to adapt and adopt methodologies and information originally intended for other purposes in a “data fusion” approach. Recently, there has been an influx of studies and training focused on using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’s) and remote sensing in wildlife research. Leveraging these technologies could supplement the often resource-intensive field approaches used to monitor population and habitat dynamics for forest dwelling species such as the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). Barriers remain, however, especially as agencies lacking the resources to collect data using UAV’s are restricted to freely available, not wildlife-specific, products. Furthermore, technologies may not be advanced enough to “see through” the canopy to the understory, relevant for species that rely on vegetation cover. We thereby conducted a case study to determine whether an approach outlined by previous authors could be successful, wherein the remote sensing products were accessible and originally collected for broader purposes. Our models did not adequately predict snowshoe hare fecal pellet numbers, pointing to deficiencies in the scale and type of available data derived from remote sensing. We also note potential shortcomings in non-invasive field techniques. Regardless, we maintain that open-access remotely sensed imagery is valuable when ground-truthed and combined with supplemental information, adding to knowledge within and beyond the fields of forestry and wildlife biology. 

Interactions between species can influence access to resources and successful reproduction. One possible outcome of such interactions is reproductive character displacement. Here, the similarity of reproductive traits – such as flowering time – among close relatives growing in sympatry differ more so than when growing apart. However, evidence for the overall prevalence and direction of this phenomenon, or the stability of such differences under environmental change, remains untested across large taxonomic and spatial scales. We apply data from tens of thousands of herbarium specimens to examine character displacement in flowering time across 110 animal-pollinated angiosperm species in the eastern USA. We demonstrate that the degree and direction of phenological displacement among co-occurring closely related species pairs varies tremendously. Overall, flowering time displacement in sympatry is not common. However, displacement is generally greater among species pairs that flower close in time, regardless of direction. We additionally identify that future climate change may alter the nature of phenological displacement among many of these species pairs. On average, flowering times of closely related species were predicted to shift further apart by the mid-21st century, which may have significant future consequences for species interactions and gene flow.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest. 

Summary Interactions between species can influence successful reproduction, resulting in reproductive character displacement, where the similarity of reproductive traits – such as flowering time – among close relatives growing together differ from when growing apart. Evidence for the overall prevalence and direction of this phenomenon, and its stability under environmental change, remains untested across large scales.Using the power of crowdsourcing, we gathered phenological information from over 40 000 herbarium specimens, and investigated displacement in flowering time across 110 animal‐pollinated species in the eastern USA.Overall, flowering time displacement is not common across large scales. However, displacement is generally greater among species pairs that flower close in time, regardless of direction. Furthermore, with climate change, the flowering times of closely related species are predicted, on average, to shift further apart by the mid‐21^stcentury.We demonstrate that the degree and direction of phenological displacement among co‐occurring closely related species pairs varies tremendously. However, future climate change may alter the differences in reproductive timing among many of these species pairs, which may have significant consequences for species interactions and gene flow. Our study provides one promising path towards understanding how the phenological landscape is structured and may respond to future environmental change.