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Northeast RegionNational Park ServiceU.S. Department of the InteriorNortheast Temperate NetworkInventory & Monitoring ProgramA cadia NP A ppalachian NST B oston H arbor I slands NRA M arsh -B illings -R ockefeller NHP M inute M an NHPMorristown NHP Roosevelt-Vanderbilt NHS Saint-Gaudens NHS Saugus Iron Works NHS Saratoga NHP Weir Farm NHSTheTemperate TimesOfficial Newsletter of the Northeast Temperate NetworkVolume 7, Issue 1 - Winter 2013NETN Staff Finally Takes a Bath -New Website Features Easier Navigating-ymetric profile of both Marsh-Billings-RockefellerNHP’s Pogue pond and Saint-Gaudens NHS’s BlowMe-Down pond. As part of the Network’s water qualitymonitoring program, staff from NETN and MarshBillings-Rockefeller NHP took to the ice on a coupleof blustery February days and gathered a series ofbathymetric measurements from the frozen surface ofthe two NETN park ponds. Bathymetry is the study ofthe depth of a lake, pond, or ocean floor - essentiallythe underwater equivalent of topography. The tools usedreached across the hi-tech/lo-tech spectrum. On the upperend was a highly accurate Trimble RTK GPS systemused to pinpoint dozens of spots on the ponds wheremeasurements were taken. Using an ice auger, a hole wasdrilled in the ice, and (here comes the lo-tech solution)a weighted water bottle tied to a measuring tape waslowered through the hole to calculate depth.The NETN website has gone through another majoroverhaul. If you have ever surfed other National ParkService websites, you will recognize the general layout ofNETN’s new site, and eventually all I&M networks willhave their sites updated to this new standardized layout.‘bath’, cont. page 3.You will still be able to learn about all the monitoringprograms NETN conducts across its 13 parks, and getdetailed information about each vital sign that is part ofthe monitoring program, but the ways you can access thesepages has changed a bit.Since most of the network’s monitoring programs addressmultiple vital signs, the website is now organized aroundprotocols, rather than the vital signs themselves. Manyvital signs also apply to multiple parks in the network,which helps to create the framework for a standardized,comprehensive monitoring program.‘website’, cont. page 3.NETN staff prepares to take bathymetry measurements on the frozen surfaceof Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP’s Pogue pond. Ed Sharron photo.The official newsletter of the Northeast Temperate NetworkEXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA

Volunteers to Help Monitor Appalachian Trail Natural ResourcesNETN has published two new monitoringprotocols for the Appalachian NationalScenic Trail (A.T.) that will help the networkkeep track of important resources foundalong its winding path. This winter, both arare plant monitoring protocol and a foresthealth monitoring protocol were finalized.Over its more than 2,100 mile journeyfrom north to south through mostlyforested territory and often at relativelyhigh elevations, the A.T. passes through anamazingly diverse number of ecosystems andhabitat types. While this allows for manyunique and rare plants to exist along certainareas of the trail, it also contributes to thechallenge of fashioning an adequate way tomonitor these resources. Due to its relativelyhigh position in the landscape, its view shedmay also be affected by land use changes andfragmentation occurring at a distance.The A.T. between Hughes Gap and Iron Mountain Gap in TN. Brenda Wiley photo.Rare PlantsThe importance of rare species to theA.T. has been formally recognized since at least 1989,when surveys were undertaken in cooperation with stateNatural Heritage offices to inventory rare, threatened, andendangered (RTE) species within the trail corridor. Between1989 and 2001, A.T. Natural Heritage inventories wereconducted in each of the 14 Trail states that documentedmore than 1,700 occurrences of RTE species as well asrare or exemplary vegetation communities in more than500 Natural Heritage Sites within the trail corridor. Ofthese, about 300 occurrences are globally rare species, andseveral federally endangered or threatened species havebeen documented along the Trail. Most of the rare speciesoccurrences are plants. While rare plants are found in everyTrail state, notable hot-spots or clusters of rare species occurin the Presidential Range of the White Mountains of NH,the Mt. Rogers-Whitetop area of southwest VA, and theRoan Mountain area along the border of NC and TN.In 1989, the A.T. and Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC)began a program to monitor rare plant species occurrencesidentified through the A.T. rare plant inventory programusing volunteer monitors. Due to the large size of the areaof interest (namely - the entire length of the A.T.), the newprotocol will restrict monitoring to locations documentedto harbor High and Very High priority occurrences of rareplants. In addition to rare plant occurrences documented bythe original rare plant inventories, new occurrences will bedocumented and evaluated for inclusion in the monitoringprogram as they are discovered by monitors or others inthe area, or as new information is obtained from the stateNatural Heritage offices.The monitoring season will coincide with peak floweringtimes of the rare plant species monitored, and will vary byregion and species. In general, monitoring will occur duringthe spring and summer months, running approximatelyfrom April to September. Using volunteer field monitorsgreatly expands the monitoring program’s reach, as wellas outreach, facilitating public engagement and creatingopportunities for public education.Forest HealthBecause of the unique geography and logistical challengesassociated with the A.T., the NETN long-term forestmonitoring protocol was modified to monitor forestvegetation along the trail. The changes reduce the gearrequirements to a level appropriate for backcountry work,make it cheaper and faster to implement, and more suitablefor a volunteer, and likely less skilled field crew. Theprotocol includes methods for collecting data to assess thehealth and ecological integrity of forested ecosystems foundalong the trail. Within A.T. forested systems key stressorsinclude land use change and habitat fragmentation on landsadjacent to the trail’s corridor. Other primary concernsinclude invasive exotic species, atmospheric deposition andozone pollution, climate change, and visitor impacts. Dueto the long and narrow characteristics of the A.T., adverseimpacts in the vicinity can have disproportionately strongeffects on its resources.‘A.T. monitoring’, cont. page 4.2 Winter 2013 - Temperate Times

‘website’ from page 1If you are interested in learning more about a particular parkNETN monitors in, it is now easier than ever before to see whatthe status of monitoring and inventory programs are there bygoing to the website’s new Park Pages section. There you will finda one-stop shopping experience that lays out all the pertinentinformation for the selected park. Overall NETN “goings-on” arealso easy to keep tabs of now by following us through a variety ofsocial networking sites including Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter all accessible through the Social Media web page on the new site.Check them out and the “Like” us on Facebook to keep abreast ofall the latest NETN happenings!The inventories, monitoring, and education & outreach pageshave all undergone some changes as well. While you’re there, besure to look at the latest Google Earth modules for your park ifyou haven’t recently. Several updates have been applied includingforest bird monitoring ecological integrity and species lists, forestmonitoring plots photo viewer, and bathymetry maps for selectedparks.TT‘bath’ from page 1.Knowing the bathymetric profile of these water bodies allowsfor volumetric calculations (helpful in some water qualitymonitoring measurements) and for estimates of changes indepth over time.As it stands now, neither pond can claim to be very deep. Along-standing legend among local Woodstock, VT townsfolkand many a park ranger at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHPAn example of the new-look website and one the park pages.has held that the roughly 14-acre Pogue pond is bottomless.Well - spoiler alert - though the measuring crew did notmeasure every single possible spot on the pond, they didmanage to drill over 100 holes in the thick ice and can saywith a fairly high degree of confidence that, alas, the Pogueindeed has a bottom. After narrowing down the deepestsection of the pond, the farthest down that the measuringtape would go was about 3.3meters (just under 11 feet).Saint-Gaudens NHS Blown-MeDown pond’s deepest point camein at just over 6 feet.Eventually, Weir Farm NHS’sWeir Pond and selected waterbodies at Acadia National Parkwill have bathymetric profilescompleted. Hop on over toNETN’s website to find linksto some photos and videos ofthe bathymetric measuringprocess on Flickr and to viewbathymetric maps of both thePogue Pond and Blow-Me-DownPond from each park’s GoogleEarth Park Map module.TTTTPogue Pond as seen with thebathymetric profile map overlayturned on within Marsh-BillingsRockefeller NHP’s Google Earthpark map. Units are in centimeters.Google Earth/Bing image.Winter 2013 - Temperate Times 3

Water Quality Monitoring CrewMember Sails into the SunsetWith heavy hearts and best wishes, NETNsaid goodbye to a long-time member of thenetwork and Acadia National Park’s waterand air quality monitoring team. PhysicalScience Technician Beth Arsenault set hersights westward and has moved on toSteamboat Springs, CO to pursue other lifeopportunities. She had been a member ofthe NETN and Acadia National Park team formore than six years.Beth was responsible for much of the dayto-day implementation of water and airmonitoring at Acadia, from sonde profilesof lakes to measuring stream flow andregularly traveling to MARS and back forair monitoring (insert bad pun based onthe planet Mars here). In addition to herhard work in the field and lab, Beth madenumerous other valuable contributions tothe NETN water monitoring effort, fromwriting and revising monitoring proceduresto assisting with annual reports. Thewhole NETN team will miss her positiveattitude, ability to adjust to ever-changingcircumstances, and her dedication tomonitoring efforts. Beth will be sorelymissed, but everyone is looking forward tocrashing at her place during what are sure tobe many forthcoming ski vacations!Trail Cameras Reveal the A.T.’s Importance to WildlifeThe Appalachian NationalScenic Trail (A.T.) isenjoyed by millions ofhikers every year, butpeople are not the onlyanimals that utilize thiswilderness footpath. Manyothers rely on the protectedforested land around thetrail. Though the A.T.corridor itself is mostlyforested and the uplandAppalachian oak foresthas experienced significantAn American black bear is “camera trapped” by one ofthe trail cameras placed along the trail during the study.expansion in the past 100Smithsonian photo.years, at lower elevationsit is surrounded by a patchwork of agricultural, residential, and industrial land wherethere has been significant habitat loss. Fragmentation and habitat loss can cause avariety of ecological impacts that trigger various responses in different mammal species.Many large mammals have experienced dramatic range contractions, while others haveexpanded following natural reforestation. Recent studies have shown that mammaliancarnivore species presence and abundance are best predicted by forest fragment sizeand isolation. Although fragmentation is frequently detrimental to large carnivorepopulations, some ungulates (hoofed animals - e.g. white-tailed deer) and mediumsized predators (raccoons, skunks, foxes, etc.) thrive on the “edge habitat” created byfragmentation.Large-scale studies can often be limited by monetary restrictions and a lack ofappropriate personnel, but these problems can sometimes be overcome with thehelp of volunteers and by using new cost-effective, non-invasive techniques. This isjust what William McShea of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (incollaboration with the University of Colorado) did by pairing together automatic trailcameras and dozens of “citizen scientist” volunteers from nearby the A.T. trail clubs.McShea recognized that so-called “camera traps” monitored by all those volunteerscould provide greater amounts of objective data and cover a larger survey area thancould any one team of scientists.‘cameras’ continued on page 6‘A.T. monitoring’ from page 2Beth did much of the ‘heavy lifting’ for theNETN water quality monitoring program atAcadia National Park since its inception in2006. Bill Gawley photo.4 Winter 2013 - Temperate TimesForest monitoring staff are not likely to be NPS employees or volunteersworking directly for the A.T., NPS, or NETN. Rather, the people who collectdata are more likely to be volunteers working for ATC or an affiliated trail club,or as part of a university, college or independent research project. While NETNcurrently lacks the funding and staff to implement this protocol, it is a rigorousand specific approach for quantifying forest health within the A.T. corridor.Data that can be obtained through this protocol as well as data from othersources including the U.S. Forest Service can be used to interpret and report theecological integrity of A.T. forested systems. Ecological integrity can be assessedby comparing key elements or attributes of an ecosystem to a reference area orto historical measurements or modeling efforts.For more details on both rare plant and forest health monitoring, see theirappropriate monitoring program web pages on NETN’s website.TT

Monitoring Program Will Help Keep Acadia’s Broom Crowberry From Being Swept AwayAcadia National Park lies within a transitionzone of the Maine coastline that containsecological communities typical of bothsouthwestern and “downeast” coastal Maine.Eleven of these communities are rare within thestate of Maine, and one is globally rare. Rarecommunities are of particular managementand conservation interest for the park, preciselybecause they are rare and because they may beparticularly sensitive to anthropogenic (humancaused - i.e. climate change, trampling, etc.)impacts. A new monitoring program willhelp shed light on the status and trends ofrare woodland and forest communities withinAcadia.Of the rare communities in the park, fourterrestrial forest or woodland communitiesare currently recommended for long-termmonitoring. Three of the communities areconsidered rare in Maine (Jack Pine Woodland,Pitch Pine Woodland, and the White Pine /A pitch pine broom crowberry woodland monitoring station near theRed Pine Forest) and the Pitch Pine / BroomWonderland Trail in Acadia National Park. Kate Miller photo.Crowberry Woodland ranks as globally rare. Keytool, especially if monitoring shows that maintenance ofstressors potentially impacting these rare woodlandthese communities is threatened by tree incursion, or byand forest communities include forest succession, coastalregeneration failure of fire-dependent species.erosion, climate change, trampling, deer browsing, invasivespecies, and a lack of natural disturbance (such as fire).The three rare woodland communities occur in closeproximity to the coast, and thus may be threatened byMany of these species are at the edges of their range,coastal erosion and sea-level rise over the mid-to-longand climatic changes in precipitation and temperatureterm. Another concern is that because pitch pine is nearcould drastically alter these communities. In other partsits northern range limit and jack pine is near its southernof their range where natural fires play a more prevalentrange limit in Acadia, altered temperature, precipitationrole, jack pine, pitch pine, red pine and broom crowberryand other disturbances associated with climate changeare all species that are fire-dependent, and will regeneratecould substantially impact these communities.following fire disturbance. Although large fires are rare inthe Northeast, analysis of a lake sediment core taken fromAcadia National Park is a very popular tourist destination,The Bowl (near The Beehive on Mount Desert Island) didreceiving over two-million visitors annually, and tramplingshow some evidence of fire prior to European settlement,of sensitive communities could be an issue. Tramplingand many current forest and woodland stands in the parkis likely to be a bigger issue for the pine woodlands onestablished after fires during the l9th and early-to-mid 20thMount Desert Island, which attract more visitors than thecentury. However, fires caused by natural ignition sourcesrelatively remote Schoodic Peninsula and Isle au Haut.(lightning strikes) are uncommon along coastal MaineMonitoring will take place biennially in late July or August.and the cool, moist climate overall is not friendly to fire.A spatially balanced random sample within patches of eachIt is more likely that for Acadia, harsh soil conditions andcommunity identified on the Acadia Vegetation Map willdisturbance from salt spray helps to prevent trees frombe selected. This design will allow for sample size to betaking over areas where rare communities persist in theadjusted as needed even after sampling has begun withoutabsence of fire. That said, research has indicated jack pinesacrificing spatial balance.regeneration on Schoodic Peninsula has decreased in recentThe monitoring program was designed primarily with thedecades, while red spruce regeneration has increased. Whatglobally rare Pitch Pine/ Broom Crowberry Woodlandthis all means for Acadia is that despite the lack of a clear(PPC) community in mind. It was hoped that since theunderstanding of fire’s natural role in the park, in the rightcircumstances prescribed fire could be a useful restoration‘rare woodlands’ cont. back pageWinter 2013 - Temperate Times 5

‘cameras’ from page 4Large-scale studies looking at eastern mammalcommunities have been rare, but important inunderstanding the ecology of the region and theinterplay between mammals with large home rangesand human development. Although secondary forestshave reclaimed parts of the Appalachian region, manyof these forests have been fragmented by roads anddevelopment. Being able to model this fragmentationand its effects on mammal distributions is a criticalneed for federal and state agencies.Between 2007 and 2009, from May through November(when animals are most active), cameras were placedat 447 sites along 636 miles of trail that traversed fromsouthern Pennsylvania to Tennessee. Using the A.T. as akind-of “mega-transect”, the three-year study looked athow forest cover, hunting, trail use and the presence ofroads affected eight mammal species (white-tailed deer,Bobcat presence was negatively impacted if hunting occurred near the studyraccoons, American black bears, Virginia opossum,coyotes, bobcats and red and gray foxes). The sites were area. Smithsonian photo.surveyed by 50 volunteers recruited from hiking andOne, also indicated an avoidance of high trail use areas by bearsnature clubs who helped to rack up over 18,800 “camera days”and a natural inclination towards high use areas by red fox. Roadsduring the study. The citizen scientist volunteers handled camerahad the lowest predictive power on species occupancy within theplacement and maintenance, file management, and recordedcorridor and were only significant for deer.their own data that was then entered into a National Park ServiceStudy organizers feel that protecting current forest habitat andwebsite where the pictures could also be uploaded. Hundredsencouraging continued reforestation and land acquisition wouldof the photographs they collected can still be viewed on thebe extremely beneficial to a number of mammal species. ForSmithsonian’s SI Wild website.certain target species, hunting should be monitored closely andOverall, 19 medium and large mammal species were detectedand identified, along with fiv

MorriSTowN NhP rooSevelT-vANderBilT NhS SAiNT-gAudeNS NhS SAuguS iroN workS NhS SArATogA NhP weir fArM NhS The Temperate Times Official Newsletter of the Northeast Temperate Network Volume 7, Issue 1 - Winter 2013 The official newsletter of the Northeast Temperate Network EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA

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