Colin M. Beier, Stephen A. Signell, Aaron Luttman and Arthur T. DeGaetano

http://www.springerlink.com/content/b866r66086457600/

Abstract

The detection of climate-driven changes in coupled human-natural systems has become a focus of climate research and adaptation efforts around the world. High-resolution gridded historical climate (GHC) products enable analysis of recent climatic changes at the local/regional scales most relevant for research and decision-making, but these fine-scale climate datasets have several caveats. We analyzed two 4 km GHC products to produce high-resolution temperature trend maps for the US Northeast from 1980 to 2009, and compared outputs between products and with an independent climate record. The two products had similar spatial climatologies for mean temperatures, agreed on temporal variability in regionally averaged trends, and agreed that warming has been greater for minimum versus maximum temperatures. Trend maps were highly heterogeneous, i.e., a patchy landscape of warming, cooling and stability that varied by month, but with local-scale anomalies persistent across months (e.g., cooling ‘pockets’ within warming zones). In comparing trend maps between GHC products, we found large local-scale disparities at high elevations and along coastlines; and where weather stations were sparse, a single-station disparity in input data resulted in a large zone of trend map disagreement between products. Preliminary cross-validation with an independent climate record indicated substantial and complex errors for both products. Our analysis provided novel landscape-scale insights on climate change in the US Northeast, but raised questions about scale and sources of uncertainty in high-resolution GHC products and differences among the many products available. Given rapid growth in their use, we recommend exercising caution in the analysis and interpretation of high-resolution climate maps.

JURIED GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PAPER PROGRAM

Sponsored by the Glenn and Carol Pearsall Adirondack Foundation

 19^th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks, May 16^th and 17^th, 2012, Lake Placid, NY

The Adirondack Research Consortium is pleased to announce a program highlighting the top research being conducted by graduate and undergraduate students in the Adirondack Park. This recognition will be in the form of a special oral-presentation session at the 19^th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks next May 16^th and 17^th, 2012 at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid.  Six student finalists, three undergraduate, and three graduate students will be invited to present their research findings. The top student in each category will then receive additional recognition at the meeting including an award.  Submissions for the student awards are due by April 16, 2012 and should be in the form of an extended abstract as detailed below. We encourage faculty with undergraduate or graduate students conducting research relevant to the Adirondack Park to solicit applications for this program that will draw attention to the high-quality contributions students are making towards our understanding of the region.

Guidelines for Extended Abstracts: 

• Any abstracts that do not adhere to guidelines will not be reviewed for the student awards.  It is not necessary to submit a regular abstract in addition to the extended versions. Abstracts that describe work that has not yet been completed are not eligible for these awards.

• All abstracts should be submitted electronically as Microsoft Word documents to info@adkresearch.org with the name of the student and the phrase “ARC Student Award Submission” in the e-mail subject heading.

• Abstracts should be written with a minimum of 12-point font in a legible text (preferably Arial or Times New Roman) and either 1.5 or double-line spacing. Pages should have a minimum of 1” margins.

• The lead author must either be currently a student, or have graduated within a year of the time of submission. The lead author should indicate if they are an undergraduate or graduate student and should identify a major professor familiar with the work.

• Abstracts should include a logical title and the list of authors.  The main body of the abstract should be between 500-800 words.  A single table of figure can be included with the extended abstract if appropriate (this should be as an embedded image, not a separate file).  A literature cited section is not necessary. 

• For more information please contact Executive Director, Dan Fitts, at 518-327-6276.

Review Process:

Following the submission deadline, abstracts will be reviewed by a panel of judges with the top three students in each category being selected for presentation at the Annual Conference.  Review criteria include the relevance of the research to the Adirondack Park, the scientific rigor of the research, the novelty and creativity of the research, and the clarity of written presentation in the abstract. Candidates will be notified within two-weeks of the submission deadline regarding the judge’s decision.

Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, and the Environment

May 16-17, 2012, High Peaks Resort, Lake Placid, NY 

The Adirondack Research Consortium invites researchers of national, regional, and local expertise to present their latest scientific research at the 19th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks in Lake Placid, NY, on May 16^th & 17^th, 2012.

This is an invitation to submit an abstract of a paper to be presented in a panel discussion at the conference. Individuals may also choose to submit an abstract for a poster to be displayed throughout the proceedings which will include an opportunity to meet other conference attendees to discuss it. The Annual Conference on the Adirondacks is a forum for researchers to present current information on natural, social, economic, cultural, and recreational resources, as well as, an opportunity to bring people with diverse backgrounds together in collaborative efforts.

You can find an abstract submission forms at www. adkresearch.org or by contacting the Consortium directly.  Electronic submissions are preferred.  The submission deadline is April 16, 2012.

“Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, and the Environment”

May 16^th & 17^th, 2012, High Peaks Resort, Lake Placid, NY

Featuring:  Rick Fedrizzi, Green Building Council; Tony Collins, John Mills, and Neil Murphy, “Universities as Economic Engines”; Bob Catell, SmartGrid Consortium; Ed Bogucz, Syracuse CoE; Jerry Jenkins, WCS; ClimAID Report; Mapping the Future; Adirondack Youth Climate Summit; 2012 Adirondack Achievement Award; North Country Sustainability Plan; and, the Juried Student Paper Program sponsored by the Pearsall Foundation.

On the afternoon of May 15^th, 2012 there will be a guided field trip to visit the impacts of Hurricane Irene in the area.

More up-to-date information can be found at http://www.adkresearch.org/conference/or by calling Dan Fitts at 518-327-6276.

Abstract. We tested whether leaf breakdown of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) was sensitive to slight differences in episodic acidification. We measured leaf breakdown in four headwater streams within the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA, in summer and autumn 2005. We also investigated whether episodic acidification influenced the breakdown of beech and maple in leaf litter mixtures in autumn. Breakdown of maple was faster than that of beech for both summer and autumn, and species mixtures did not affect the breakdown rates of maple or beech. Breakdown rates of maple but not beech were highest in the circumneutral stream, but only in summer. Although microbial respiration rate for maple was greatest in the circumneutral stream in autumn, both maple and beech breakdown in autumn were greatest in one of the episodically acidified streams. Higher discharge and a greater proportion of riffle areas in this stream probably led to greater physical fragmentation rates in autumn when discharge was higher but not during summer. Due to this discrepancy between summer and autumn, we suggest that leaf breakdown should be used in combination with other functional metrics (e.g., microbial respiration) to assess the response of stream ecosystems to anthropogenic disturbances.

To download a PDF copy, link here.

Abstract. The invasion of exotic earthworms in the Northern Forest of the United States alters carbon and nitrogen cycles and reduces forest litter and native plant cover. Humans are the principal agents of dispersal, spreading earthworms both inadvertently via horticulture, land disturbance, and in the tires and underbodies of vehicles, and voluntarily through composting and the improper disposal of fish bait. A study in Webb, NY—a town located within the Adirondack State Park, one of the most celebrated cultural and ecological regions in the US—exposes the human dimensions of earthworm invasion. Environmental history research, interviews with residents and bait sellers, and a mail survey of town residents show that positive attitudes towards earthworms and their ecological effects lead to casual disposal or use of them. Earthworm use is a strong cultural practice and the risk of their continued introduction in the Adirondacks is high.

To download a PDF copy, link here.

Abstract. Moose, a bellwether species for climate change, become heat stressed at temperatures as low as -5^oC in winter and 14^oC in summer. Moose must balance the energetic cost of behavioral thermoregulation (i.e., seeking thermal shelters) against metabolizable energy intake over the long-term or face dire individual and population consequences. To characterize thermal cover for moose in the Adirondack State Park, I used hemispherical photography, Gap Light Analyzer, and ArcGIS to model operative temperature, Te . Operative temperature is an index to the thermal environment, and was used to define thermal cover in a traditional Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) model. Relative to specific metabolic and behavioral thresholds, Spring was thermally more stressful for moose compared to summer. The HSI model classified habitat suitability better than models lacking a thermal cover requisite. Predicting impacts of climate change on overall moose habitat suitability is complicated due to offsetting effects of specific heat balance components.

Cross-posted from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses.

Abstract. New York’s Adirondack Park is internationally recognized for its biological diversity. Greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Park combined, the Adirondacks are the largest protected area within the Northern Appalachian/Acadian Eco-Region and within the contiguous United States. Ecologists, residents of the Park, and others are concerned about rapid land use change occurring within the borders of the Park. Almost half of the six million acres encompassed by the Park boundary is privately-owned, where 80% of land use decisions fall within the jurisdiction of local governments. The comprehensive planning process of one such local government, the Town of Willsboro, New York, was the focus of a Participatory Action Research (PAR), single case study. Using a PAR, mixed methods approach, community- led comprehensive planning integrated natural science, technology and citizen participation. I evaluated the role of PAR in helping to transform conventional land use planning practice into a more democratic, environmentally conscious, and durable civic responsibility. Stakeholder viewpoints about the local environmental setting revealed deep connections to nature. Findings of the research indicate that comprehensive land use planning capacity increases when citizens increase their scientific and ecological literacy, especially when tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used for data collection and analysis. Applying ecologically-based comprehensive planning utilizing a PAR framework improved citizen’s confidence in land use decision-making and also expanded science literacy. PAR holds great promise as a methodological framework to bring together ecologically-focused natural science with citizen-led collaborative land use planning. Areas of further research identified during this study include assessing age-specific gaps in stakeholder participation, evaluating the relationship between plan recommendations and regulatory implementation, and investigating factors that contribute to a culture of community engagement. Local land use planning decisions have important cumulative impacts on protected area land development at the local and regional scale. A comprehensive plan can reflect an emergent process, where the primacy of community self-determination and consensus- building yields recognition of the link between, and sanctity of, nature, home, and homeland.

The electronic version of this dissertation and auxiliary data files are available through the OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. Link directly to the dissertation here.

Abstract. New York has a long tradition of attention to, caring for, and publishing local history. Approaches and intensity of interest have varied over the years, with strong local history publication in the late nineteenth century, an ebb in the early twentieth century but also a state requirement in 1919 for local governments to designate official historians, a sharp rise in the period of the bicentennial of the American Revolution, and, since that time, an increase in the publication of local history and other examples of progress such as the annual conference on New York State history. At the same time, though, there are substantial needs for better training, advocacy, and resources. New York’s history programs are “like a cluster of wind turbines,” many exuding energy, others quiet and still. A stronger role for the State Historian is essential to strengthening the preservation, management, and use of state and local history.

To download a PDF copy, follow this link.

“The Lake George example is one that can serve as a model for thousands of communities across North America, communities that are struggling to preserve their lakes and resilience of their ecosystem and interdependent economies,” said Jon Erickson of Bright Blue EcoMedia and University of Vermont professor.

The film will highlight the work of citizens, scientists and non-profit organizations that have joined together to protect Lake George and its watershed. Two local entities – the Lake George Association and the Lake George Watershed Coalition – have pledged funds towards the production cost, and the team is currently soliciting pledges to Mountain Lake PBS to meet the budget.

The documentary will be part of education programs at Mountain Lakes PBS, based in Plattsburgh, NY. “We’re working with the nonprofit Bright Blue to provide quality lifelong learning content and curriculum while also telling a local success story to a much wider audience,” according to Colin Powers, Director of Programming at Mountain Lake.  Mountain Lake is seeking distribution throughout all of New York’s PBS networks.

The production team, Bright Blue EcoMedia, includes multiple Emmy-award winning producer Vic Guadagno who, over the past few years, produced two series for Vermont Public Television, Emerging Science and Regeneration. Bright Blue recently produced Bloom: the Plight of Lake Champlain, which this year won the New England Emmy Award for Outstanding Environmental Program, and helped to broaden the public dialogue around the future of the Lake Champlain basin, of which Lake George is a part of. It traces the problems of phosphorous pollution – from urban areas, farms and wastewater treatment plants – to Lake Champlain. Bloom first aired on Mountain Lake PBS last December and on Vermont Public Television in January.

Given the growing problem of phosphorous pollution and algae blooms across the country, Bloom was distributed nationally by the National Educational Telecommunications Association and aired on PBS stations from California and Colorado to Michigan and New Hampshire. “Screenings in Vermont and New York at theaters and town halls alike have been filled to capacity, followed by lively public discussions,” said Guadagno. “I’d expect a film on invasive species would have similar regional and national appeal, and bring much needed attention to both the management successes and the mounting challenges ahead”.

“As a non-profit, Bright Blue is able to pull together some significant horsepower on a limited budget to produce ecomedia that can help shed light on critical environmental and social issues,” said Erickson.

Filming is expected to begin in September. In addition to public television airings and regional screenings, Mountain Lake PBS would also create a web site and curricular material for classroom use, and tap into social media networks to expand the film’s educational impact.

Mountain Lake is also partnering with Bright Blue on a larger film project investigating the history, status and future of the Adirondack model of conservation.  Based on a recently published book by Erickson and colleagues William Porter and Ross Whaley entitled The Great Experiment in Conservation: Voices from the Adirondacks, the film will explore the larger context of conservation and development in the Adirondack Park.

FOR MORE INFORMATION or to contribute to the project, visit Bright Blue Ecomedia.