Adirondack Research Consortium

Rick Fedrizzi to Keynote Annual Conference on the Adirondacks

2012-01-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

Rick Fedrizzi, President and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in Washington, DC, will keynote the 19th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks in Lake Placid this May 16th and 17th, 2012.

Rick was appointed President & CEO of the rapidly growing organization in April 2004. Under his leadership, USGBC has undertaken a far-reaching agenda that has tripled its membership, broadened its influence, and cemented its role as a leadership voice in the global sustainability movement.

A cornerstone of that agenda has been USGBC's internationally recognized LEED green building certification program. The growth of LEED has led to more than 151,000 individuals earning either the LEED AP or LEED Green Associate professional credential.

The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a 501 c3 non-profit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, nearly 16,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 170,000 LEED Professional Credential holders, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students. Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

Information on the 19th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks can be found at www.adkresearch.org.

CALL FOR PAPERS

2012-01-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

19thAnnual Conference on the Adirondacks
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 16th & 17th, 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.
For more information please contact the Adirondack Research Consortium at 518-327-6276
or by e-mail at info@adkresearch.org. Conference program information can be found
at www.adkresearch.org.

Please share this announcement with colleagues and friends and encourage them to participate in this opportunity to promote science and research in the Adirondack Park!

2012 Juried Student Paper Program

2012-01-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

JURIED GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PAPER PROGRAM
Sponsored by the Glenn and Carol Pearsall Adirondack Foundation

19th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks,
May 16th and 17th, 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 19th Annual
Conference on the Adirondacks next May 16th and 17th, 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.

19th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks

2012-01-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

19th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks
“Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, and the Environment”
May 16th & 17th, 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 Adirondack Foundation.

On the afternoon of May 15th, 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 www.adkresearch.org or by calling Dan
Fitts at 518-327-6276.

The Adirondack Research Consortium Welcomes Bill McKibben

2011-03-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

Bill McKibben will be the Keynote Speaker at the 18th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks this May 18th and 19th, 2011 at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid. His talk is titled "Bracing for Change: Resilience, Durability, and the Changing Climate”.

Bill McKibben is an American environmentalist and writer who frequently writes about global warming and alternative energy and advocates for more localized economies. In 2010 the Boston Globe called him "probably the nation's leading environmentalist" and Time magazine described him as "the world's best green journalist. In 2009 he led the organization of 350.org , which coordinated what Foreign Policy magazine called "the largest ever global coordinated rally of any kind," with 5,200 simultaneous demonstrations in 181 countries. Bill is guest columnist for several publications and is the author of several books including the End of Nature and his newest book EAARTH.

For complete conference program and registration information go to adkresearch.org or contact Dan Fitts at 518-327-6276.

Commissioner Martens to Speak at Annual Conference on the Adirondacks

2011-03-07T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Hon. Joseph J. Martens, Commissioner, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, will be a featured speaker at the 18th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks this May 18th and 19th, 2011 at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid.

Since 1998, Mr. Martens has served as President of the Open Space Institute, directing and overseeing land acquisition, sustainable development, historic preservation and farmland protection. Previously, Mr. Martens served as Deputy Secretary to the Governor for Energy and the Environment from 1992-94 and before that Assistant Secretary from 1990-92. He is the Chair of the Olympic Regional Development Authority and also chairs the Adirondack Lake Survey Corporation. Mr. Martens studied Resource Economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and received an M.S. in Resource Management from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY.

Complete Conference program and registration information is available at adkresearch.org, or by calling Dan Fitts at 518-327-6276.

18th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks

2011-02-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

May 18th and 19th, 2011, High Peaks Resort, Lake Placid, NY

Featuring:

Author, Educator, Environmentalist - Bill McKibben

Presentations on the Adirondack Partnerships Project, Alternative Waste Water Treatment Technologies with Tom Ballestero of UNH, Bioenergy, HydoPower, North Creek Case Study, Hudson River Collaborations, Birds of North America, and more

Presenting Graduate and Undergraduate Juried Student Paper Program sponsored by the Pearsall Foundation

More up-to-date conference information at adkresearch.org or contact:

Dan Fitts, Executive Director
201 Paolozzi Center, Paul Smith’s College Campus
P.O. Box 96, Paul Smiths, NY 12970
info@ADKresearch.org , 518-327-6276

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - STUDENT AWARD PROGRAM

2010-10-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

18th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks, May 18th and 19th, 2011, Lake Placid, NY

The Adirondack Research Consortium in collaboration with Paul Smith’s College is pleased to announce a new program highlighting the top research being conducted by students in the Adirondack Park for presentation and award at the 18th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks.
Submissions for the student awards are due by March 1, 2011 and should be in the form of an extended abstract. 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 submission can be found on the Consortium’s webpage or by contacting Dan Fitts in our Paul Smith's College campus office at 518-327-6276 or by e-mail at info@adkresearch.org.

2011 CALL FOR PAPERS

2010-10-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

18th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks
May 18th and 19th, 2011, Lake Placid, NY

The Adirondack Research Consortium is pleased to invite abstracts for panel or poster presentation at the 18th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks. Research presentations can involve any topic of relevance to the Adirondack region including the natural sciences, economic and community issues, social sciences, arts and the humanities.

For more information and a 2011 Abstract Submission Form go to the Consortium’s webpage or give Dan Fitts a call at our office on the Paul Smith’s College campus office, 518-327-6276 or by e-mail at info@adkresearch.org. The Consortium will review all submissions to determine acceptance for presentation at the conference and scheduling of the presentations. The Consortium expects that presenters will register for the conference.

17th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks

2010-04-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

“Leveraging Resources to Sustain Communities”
May 19-20, 2010, High Peaks Resort, Lake Placid, NY

What minerals are actively mined in the Adirondacks today? What is "exurbia," and is it catching?! Are biofuels the answer? Find out the answers to these questions and much, much more at the 17th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks.

Program Highlights:

Richard Kessel, President of New York Power Authority
Bob Catell, Chairman of the Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center
Tony Collins, President of Clarkson University
Carol Brown, President of North Country Community College
Panel: Reconnecting Children and Nature, Perspectives on Health and Education for Adirondack Children
Variety of Concurrent Sessions, including Adirondack Mining, Adirondack Region Medical Home Pilot Project, "Forever Wired," Smart Grid Initiative, Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, Economic Climate Change, Forestry, Research Papers, and more!

Visit adkresearch.org for a complete program listing.

Research Notes: Studying Ski Slopes

2010-01-12T19:43:00.000-08:00

An article in the New York Times reports on research by Dr. Jennifer Burt of UC Davis on the difference between creating downhill ski slopes by tree-cutting versus bulldozing and grading. Dr. Burt's research suggests tree-cutting is a more sustainable option.

In a related topic, author and blogger Phil Brown opens a discussion in the Adirondack Almanac on the environmental impacts of ski glade creation. Forester Michael Snyder suggests there are good and bad ways to cut backcountry glades in a 2004 article in Northern Woodlands Magazine.

With warming trend, ice forms later in Adirondacks

2009-12-29T12:03:00.000-08:00

Science calls Mirror Lake an indicator
By MICHAEL VIRTANEN Associated Press Writer

ALBANY — Ice is forming this week on picturesque Mirror Lake, weeks later than it once did as scientists continue to document a century-long warming trend.

"The weather is so variable, and the data sets are so few or incomplete, the ice cover is the one thing that stands out above everything else," said Curt Stager, professor of natural sciences at Paul Smith's College. "It's the most obvious, irrefutable sign of climate change in the North Country."

Stager and three other scientists co-authored a recent paper in the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies plotting regional climate changes since data collection began in the early 1900s. The data showed ice on Mirror Lake forming 14 or 15 days later and melting three or four days earlier than it did then, consistent with records from several other high-elevation Adirondack lakes.

Colin Beier, a researcher at the Adirondack Ecological Center of the State University College of Environmental Science and Forestry, said climate is affected by geography in the 6 million-acre Adirondack Park, a place with mountains, lake effects, weather from Canada and other local factors.

A separate preliminary trend analysis from 1950 to 2008 found high mean temperatures in the High Peaks area increasing a few degrees while those in the southwestern Adirondacks around West Canada Lakes were decreasing by a similar amount.

"There's a lot of hysteria about climate change right now," Beier said. "It's important for us as scientists to present as sober and clean a picture as possible."

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007 found it "very likely" that most observed warming globally is due to the buildup of heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels. A 193-nation conference ended last weekend in Copenhagen with a limited agreement to address global warming amid acrimony over failure to reach a legally binding deal. Scientific debate continues over causes and forecasts.

With data from seven sites around the Adirondack region, the four scientists reported mean annual temperatures from 1926 to 2005 rose overall only "slightly," or about 1.5 degrees. However, measured over the most recent 30 years, the trend was more pronounced and statistically significant for the months of September, up an average of 4.7 degrees, and December, up 3.4 degrees. May was 1.7 degrees cooler.

Some of the best ice records came from Mirror Lake, which can be seen from Main Street in Lake Placid.

One of the longer-term goals of the research is to develop useful projections, with knowledge of underlying mechanisms and avoid the "oversimplification" of projecting historical trends forward, they wrote.

Stager noted that there was a warm spell in the 1950s in this part of the world and said that depending on the time frame used, it was possible to draw different conclusions. "If you start in the 1950s, it makes it seem like there's not much change. If you start in the '60s, it's a ramp upwards everywhere," Stager said.

The corrected United States Historical Climatology Network data they used came from Dannemora, Indian Lake, Lake Placid, Stillwater, Tupper Lake and Wanakena in the Adirondacks, as well as Lowville just west toward the Tug Hill Plateau.

They also found an increase in stream discharge over a century, indicating "an overall wetting trend," and more rain, particularly in August. Some migratory birds also are now arriving earlier.

[Photo: A dog sled navigates Mirror Lake during an earlier winter. 2004 Plattsburgh Press Republican File Photo]

New book on the "Great Experiment in Conservation"

2009-11-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

The current and two former presidents of the Adirondack Research Consortium recently finished editing "The Great Experiment in Conservation: Voices from the Adirondacks". The new book, which resulted in part from collaborations through annual ARC conferences, was published by Syracuse University Press in July of 2009. Editors William Porter, Jon Erickson, and Ross Whaley pull together a who's who of Adirondack scientists, writers, advocates, and politically active citizens who write about the natural, cultural, and economic cornerstones of the Adirondack Park across 34 chapters.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Adam Hothschild writes:

I’d love to see this important book be required reading for every New York State legislator and opinion-maker. Alive with personal voices, it is also packed with vital
information and at times justifiably angry at what we human beings have done to the Adirondacks. It reminds us of what we've lost, of what we can still save, and of
what a rare treasure this extraordinary region is.

A recent review by Midwest Book Reviews describes the book as a:

... seminal work of impressive scholarship ... [and] a core addition to academic library Environmental Studies reference collections, and especially recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in American conversation history and land preservation in general, and the Adirondack Park in particular.

For more information, visit the 2009 spring catalog page of Syracuse University Press. You can also listen to Ross Whaley, co-editor and former Adirondack Park Agency chairman, talk about the "Great Experiment" in a September 17th, 2009 interview with Brian Mann of North Country Public Radio.

Pioneering Acid Rain Researcher Receives Adirondack Achievement Award

2009-06-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Adirondack Research Consortium (ARC) presented the 2009 Adirondack Achievement Award to pioneering acid rain researcher Dr. Dudley J. Raynal of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. Dr. Raynal’s award was presented at a luncheon ceremony on May 21, 2009 as part of the 16th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks, May 20-21, 2009, at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid.

In 1978, Dudley Raynal initiated the establishment of the acid rain monitoring station at the Huntington Wildlife Forest in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. This is one of the oldest monitoring stations in the U.S. and has been in continuous operation for 30 years. Information gathered from this and other monitoring stations throughout the country has provided the scientific basis to identify the causes of this problem. Through the years, Dudley has also been involved in many research projects to determine the impacts of acid rain on Adirondack lakes, plants, and forests.

Dr. Raynal’s work has been extensively published and he has received numerous international research awards. Dudley recently retired from the position of Dean of Instruction and Graduate at SUNY- ESF where he is both Professor Emeritus and Distinguished Teaching Professor.

The ARC’s Adirondack Achievement Award is an annual award given to an individual or group of individuals who have demonstrated significant contributions to the long term sustainability of the Adirondack Park. Dr. William Porter, ARC President, said “Dudley Raynal’s pioneering leadership in researching the impacts of acid rain is a clear indicator of his commitment to the future of the Adirondack Park and the broader scientific community”.

In the photo above, Dr. Porter, at left, presents the 2009 Adirondack Achievement Award to Dr. Raynal. (Photo taken by Ken Rimany, Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks)

Research Notes: Valuation of Natural Resource Improvements in the Adirondacks

2009-05-02T14:08:00.001-07:00

The posting of this publication, Valuation of Natural Resource Improvements in the Adirondacks, is a follow up to the initial post regarding the study of how much people are willing to pay for natural resources in the Adirondack Park. Published in 2004 by H. Spencer Banzhaf, Dallas Burtraw, David Evans, and Alan J. Krupnick, this article outlines specific facts and figures that were arrived to after surveying Adirondack residents. The estimates collected by this group revealed that residents would be willing to pay $48 to $107 annually to benefit the Adirondack region, implying the potential for vast statewide benefits. This article will hopefully offer a little more insight and connectedness to the previous posting.

Research Notes: Mercury Contamination in Sport Fish in the Northeast

2009-05-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

Mercury deposition in aquatic ecosystems is becoming an increasing issue both worldwide and in the Adirondack park region. In the publication "Mercury Contam ination in S port Fish in the Northeastern United States: Considerations for Future Data Collection," researchers studied the levels of mercury contamination of sport fish in lakes throughout the Northeast. They were met with numerous obstacles that led them to create suggestions for future data collections. The main purpose of their study was to judge the human dimensions of the food web and natural resources, and to determine how humans would be affected by the contamination present in the aquatic ecosystems. Although the study was flawed, the researchers were able to outline ways in which future research could be conducted in order to better judge potential impacts of mercurial fish on human health.

Research Notes: Wind Turbines in the Adirondack Park

2009-05-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

In March, the Adirondack Park Agency announced that it wants to make it easier for residents to construct wind turbines on their property. Through recent initiatives calling for an increased presence of alternative energy sources in the region, the APA believes that wind energy is a step in the right direction. It is the hope of the APA that the Adirondack community will no longer feel discouraged from installing small scale turbines in their communities based on their revised regulations. The proposal, scheduled to be put up for APA board review this past April, would open up many opportunities for the erection of wind turbines throughout the park.

Article Link

Research Notes: The W!LD Center

2009-05-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

This past November the W!LD Center hosted the conference: ‘The American Response to Climate Change - The Adirondack Model: Using Climate Change Solutions to Restore a Rural American Economy.’ The intended focus of the conference was to look for methods counteracting climate change which could be used to boost the Adirondack economy. One of the proposed solutions, outlined in the article "Wild Center Details Planned Conference to Address Ways Early Action on Low Carbon Economy can Benefit Adirondack Economy", is to lower the carbon emissions of the region through green design and alternative energy sources. There was also the suggestion of capitalizing on the vast water resources within the region, which, in the future, could greatly benefit the local economies of the Adirondack region.

Research Notes: Landscape Ecology of Eastern Coyotes

2009-05-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

The 2007 Ecological Applications article "Landscape Ecology of Eastern Coyotes Based on Large-scale Estimates of Abundance" concerns the main areas of coyote habitation in the Adirondack region. Through fecal sampling and analyzing areas of disturbed forest, researchers worked to create a map of where this fairly new species is concentrating in the Adirondacks. The study revealed, based on abundance models, and contrary to previous assumptions, that forested areas are very suitable habitats for these coyotes. The research collected showed the highest density of coyote population present on the Southwestern edge of the Adirondack Park.

Research Notes: CFES Program

2009-05-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

Kristen Ward, a student at Middlebury College, recently published her thesis regarding the non-profit organization College For Every Student (CFES) and its work in Adirondack schools. Entitled "From “one more step” to college for every student: the evolution of a nonprofit organization in two Adirondack schools", the focus of her thesis was to find if CFES was successful in these schools, and to address the potential issues that teachers at these schools face. What Ward found was that many New York schools felt CFES was a school reform organization, despite it being an organization for providing access to college. This indicates a disconnect between the ideals of CFES and the experiences of the teachers, who find their definitions of success very different from that of the organization.

Research Notes: Economy and Ecology in the Adirondacks

2009-03-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

In a 2008 publication in the Discussion Papers of Resources for the Future, the study "An Update on the Science of Acidification in the Adirondack Park," by Mische John et al, reviewed how the social and physical sciences were being brought together in Adirondack communities that had been affected by acid rain. Based on the previous work of Cook et al in 2002, which used its scientific findings to determine how readily Adirondack residents would put money toward ecological improvements that would be brought about by reduced acidification in the Park area. Mische John et al used this follow-up study to update the information already provided by Cook, and are hopeful that the updated science will be helpful in reevaluating the willingness of Adirondack communities to pay for ecosystem renewal in their areas.

Research Notes: Mercury Fluxes and their Relation to Global Warming

2009-02-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

Over the course of 2005 and 2006, Clarkson University researchers studied the flux of gaseous mercury from the forest floor of the Adirondack Mountains. The study revealed that the flux of mercury was elevated during times of raised temperature, as well as periods of direct solar radiation. The researchers concluded that:

The developed model can be used to examine how these Hg fluxes may be impacted by global warming. For example if the temperature increased a uniform 1 °C throughout the growing season (period when the ground is not covered by snow) the Hg emission flux is predicted to increase by 6.4%. Additional increases in fluxes from the ground would occur if the length of the growing season increases.

In turn, their results could also be used to better predict how these mercury fluxes will influence the ecosystems of the Adirondack forest. Findings were published in the February 2009 issue of the journal Environmental Pollution.

Research Notes: A study indicates that garlic mustard is rapidly spreading and altering forests across the east

2009-02-23T18:34:00.000-08:00

Researchers from Boston University and Harvard University recently completed a study exploring the ecological implications of the invasion of Alliaria petiolata – better known as garlic mustard – in the Northeast. Not only is the species spreading at a rate of 6400 square kilometers per year, according to this study it is also leading to detrimental changes in the ecosystems of the Eastern forests in terms of biodiversity and soil composition. Garlic mustard, because of its adaptive capabilities and unique characteristics, seems to be right at home in the forests of the east, and could potentially lead to dramatic changes in these ecosystems.
An abstract, as well as a link to the publication, is available at: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1641/B580510.

Call For Papers

2009-02-11T12:20:00.000-08:00

16th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks
Community Sustainability

May 20-21, 2009, High Peaks Resort, Lake Placid, NY

The Adirondack Research Consortium (ARC) invites research papers to be presented at the 16th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks. This far reaching program will explore the latest information and research on such topics as community development and infrastructure, forest management, trends in private land development, findings of the Adirondack Assessment Project, GIS collaborations, green farming, energy technologies, the impacts of climate change, and opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint. The ARC invites and welcomes research on these and other topics including natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities relevant to the future of the Adirondack region.

To be considered, please complete the 2009 Abstract Submission Form, which is available on the ARC webpage at adkresearch.org. An ARC conference committee will review all submissions to determine acceptance for presentation at the conference. The ARC expects that all presenters will register for the conference.

The ARC Invites Paper Presentations and Posters

Paper Presentations: Papers will be presented in panel discussions of two or three participants that run throughout the conference. Talks must be limited to 20 minutes for the presentation and question/answer period. Your audience may have lay persons who, although they might have a keen interest in your research and results, may not be fully conversant with the jargon of your science. We encourage you to use plain language. Slide, overhead, and digital projectors will be available in all meeting rooms.

Poster Presentations: Posters will be prominently displayed throughout the conference. Posters must be mounted on a rigid backing. The ARC will accept them at a designated time at the beginning of the conference. Conference staff will aid in affixing and removing the poster in the display area. An opportunity for conference attendees to meet the poster presenters will be formally scheduled during the conference.
Note: Students must submit name of faculty sponsor for presentations.

For more information, please contact the Adirondack Research Consortium at 518-564-2020 or by e-mail at info@adkresearch.org. The submission deadline is April 1, 2009. The ARC will make its final decisions by April 15, 2009 and notify all applicants shortly thereafter. Please be sure to submit early and include your e-mail contact information!

Please share this announcement with colleagues and friends!

16th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks Coming in May!

2009-01-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

SAVE THE DATE

The Adirondack Research Consortium's

16th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks

May 20-21, 2009

High Peaks Resort, Lake Placid, NY

“Community Sustainability ”

This far reaching program will explore the latest information and research on such topics as community development and infrastructure, forest management, trends in private land development, GIS collaborations, green farming, energy technologies, the impacts of climate change, and opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint.

As a forum for the exchange of information, the conference offers the opportunity to network with well known experts and colleagues from communities, businesses, local and state government, and education, and to establish new friendships and strategic connections.

Ongoing conference program information and details will be available on the ARC webpage at http://www.adkresearch.org/ or by contacting the ARC directly at:

E-mail: adkresearch.org
P.O. Box 96, Paul Smiths, NY 12970

Phone: Dan Fitts: 518-523-1814
Eileen Allen: 518-564-2020

AJES to move to open access, internet platform

2008-08-15T15:02:00.000-07:00

[The following editorial was published in the summer issue of the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 15, No. 1, 2008]

Public Knowledge, Open Access
Jon D. Erickson

When the Adirondack Research Consortium and the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies were launched in 1994 I was in graduate school, interested in research on Adirondack economy and ecology, and desperate for a forum to pose questions, exchange ideas, and ultimately be apart of the policy and management process. Gone were the days of my professors – typewriters and armies of statisticians replaced by the PC – but the collections of the university library were still the dominant form of research. A literature review meant that the most current research cited was already three or more years old, reflecting the lag time from field work, analysis, and writing to peer review, editing, and publishing. The use of electronic listservs to form research networks was just beginning to narrow the gap between question and answer (with our very own Adiron-L as part of that first generation). Dial-up home internet access was a luxury, spam amounted to a few unsolicited e-mails a week, and college students still lived and breathed the Dewey decimal system.

Card catalogs today seem like a relic from a century ago, not just a decade ago. While dial-up internet and poor cell service still characterize many rural communities, the trends in internet archiving and publishing have significantly improved the delivery of current research. Research by my own students today is more often done through laptops and high speed, wireless connections to vast digital libraries (often from a couch in a coffee shop!). While limited internet access still plagues many rural areas, my own field research in the distant corners of Africa and Latin America is more often than not facilitated by the internet. Quality control can be challenging, and the standards of peer review are as important as ever, but information access and literacy has rapidly changed the publishing landscape.

The majority of research journals today provide all content via the internet – some for free, others only to library or individual subscribers. Articles from widely cited journals such as Science or Nature to the most specialized journals are just a mouse click away. While most journals still publish a print version as well, the number of open access peer-reviewed web journals is growing rapidly. International collaborations such as the Public Knowledge Project (pkp.sfu.ca) and their free Open Journal Systems software have facilitated an explosion of web journal publication, with 1400 titles in 10 languages using this publishing platform alone. A recent estimate of peer-reviewed, open access journals puts the total at 3400, about 12% of the worldwide total of peer-reviewed journals, and about two thirds of non-open access journals allow their authors to deposit their manuscripts in open access repositories.[1]

Web journals are more than just online archives. They need not be static, one-way dialogues between writer and reader. Interactive reader commentary is often facilitated, weekly web logs (blogs) from editors and authors is becoming the norm, and the domain of who’s voice is publishable is broadening beyond just the credentialed expert community. Peer-reviewed wiki sites such as the Encyclopedia of Earth (www.eoearth.org) encourage submission of edits, reviews, and boxed insets to previously published work, in addition to publication of web books and articles.

And so, as I hinted at in my last prerogative, AJES will begin experimenting with a web version. The first step has been to create an Adirondack Research Consortium blog (found at adkresearch.blogspot.com), where invited blog authors will post regular research notes, ARC conference and business updates, and other news relevant to the Adirondack research community. Anyone and everyone can read and comment on postings. Over the coming months we’ll begin to put this issue of AJES online, experiment with layout and features, and prepare for future online issues (along with our print issue). The plan is to join the growing community of scholarship under the Public Knowledge Project, with the journal Ecology and Society (www.ecologyandsociety.org), one of the earliest peer-reviewed open access journals, serving as a model. Please be sure to browse www.ajes.org in the coming months, check out our progress, and get back to me with ideas and advice at jon.erickson@uvm.edu, or the old-fashioned way at 802-656-3328.

[1] Suber, Peter, “The Opening of Science and Scholarship,” Publius Project, June 4, 2008 [accessed on August 10, 2008, publius.cc/page/2/].

AJES Summer Issue in press

2008-08-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

The summer issue of the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies (Volume 15, Number 1) went to press this week. Highlights include an interview with Dr. Ross Whaley on sustainable development in the Adirondacks, and peer-reviewed articles on Adirondack ecosystem modeling and creating genuine progress indicators in the Northern Forest.

CONTENTS
President's Message
by William F. Porter

Prerogative
Public Knowledge, Open Access
by Jon D. Erickson

Book Review
Acid Rain in the Adirondacks by Jenkins et al.
by James C. White

Commentary
A New Deal for the Adirondacks: Establishing an Adirondack CCC Modeled Program
by Eric Bouchard

Feature
Is a Sustainable Adirondack Park a Pipe Dream? An interview with Dr. Ross Whaley
by Graham L. Cox

Analyses
Development of an Adirondack Ecosystem Model
by Stephen Signell, Benjamin Zuckerberg, Stacy McNulty, and William Porter

The Genuine Progress Indicator: A New Measure of Economic Development for the Northern Forest
by Kenneth J. Bagstad and Marta Ceroni

For more information on AJES, past issues, or to subscribe to the print edition, please visit www.ajes.org.

Adirondack Climate Conference coming in November

2008-08-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

See www.usclimateaction.org for conference updates and outcomes from the national conference on climate change held in the Adirondacks this past June.

Northern Forest Institute to open in Adirondacks

2008-08-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry plans to establish a new training institute for researchers and managers of northern forests based at century-old Masten House, a former corporate retreat in the central Adirondacks.

The Northern Forest Institute, on 46 acres of Open Space Conservancy land in Newcomb, will get $1.125 million in state grants to start. The Department of Environmental Conservation says it has committed $1.6 million over the next four years for research on visitor demand, experiences and effect on the woodlands. The center will also offer training for recreation managers in the state forest preserve.

The "northern forest" extends from Lake Ontario at Tug Hill, across the Adirondacks to northern Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

For more information on the proposed Northern Forest Institute, see:

The strategic plan document at the Adirondack Ecological Center.
Press release on the project by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

Research Notes: Bicknell's Thrush-Veery hybrid?

2008-08-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

Scientists from the Vermont Center for Ecostudies found a possible hybrid of a Bicknell's Thrush and Veery on Stratton Mountain in Vermont. VCE scientists wonder if this might be a case of a low elevation species, the Veery, moving upward in elevation in response to climate change - or it could just be a random rare breeding event between these two closely related species. Check out VCE's blog for more on this topic.

2008-09 Membership Renewal

2008-07-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

Please consider renewing your membership or joining the Adirondack Research Consortium (ARC) today. As we face several challenges on the future sustainability of the Adirondack Park, the ARC’s work of promoting sound science and research by facilitating partnership and collaboration has never been more important.

With your membership, you will receive a one-year subscription to the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies (AJES), (two issues). The summer edition of AJES is in production and will be published shortly. Don’t miss out! As a member, you will also receive notice of upcoming ARC events and activities.

Please support the work of the ARC by joining today. The July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009 membership year has already begun. Please print and complete the renewal coupon below, and send it to us with a check for only $35.

Thank you!
______________________________________________________

□ Yes, I would like to renew my membership or join the Adirondack Research Consortium and receive two issues of AJES, starting with the 2008 summer edition.

I have enclosed a check for $35 made out to the ARC. Please list me as:

Name: ________________________________________

Affiliation ______________________________________

Address: _______________________________________

City/State/Zip ___________________________________

E-mail: __________________ Phone: _________________

Adirondack Research Consortium
P.O. Box 96
Paul Smiths, NY 12970

Call for Papers

2008-07-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

The 16th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks
“A Sustainable Adirondack Park – Ecological, Economic, and Business Perspectives”
May 20-21, 2009, Lake Placid, NY

The Adirondack Research Consortium (ARC) invites researchers of national, regional, and local expertise to present their latest scientific research at the 16th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks in Lake Placid, NY, on May 20-21, 2009. 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.

For more information please contact the Adirondack Research Consortium at 518-564-2020 or by e-mail at info@adkresearch.org. Details will also be posted on the ARC's webpage at adkresearch.org. The submission deadline is April 1, 2009. Please be sure to submit early and include your e-mail contact information!

Please share this announcement with colleagues and friends and encourage them to participate in this opportunity to promote science and research in the Adirondack Park!

International climate change conference held in the Adirondacks

2008-07-03T07:27:00.000-07:00

On June 24 and 25 over 175 people from the Adirondacks and around the world participated in an international conference on climate change at the Wild Center in Tupper Lake. Former ARC president Ross Whaley organized the meeting with co-chair Carter Bales. Topics ranged from carbon abatement strategies to itemizing likely consequences of climate change for the Adirondacks and beyond.

To learn more about the conference and opportunities for follow-up activities, visit the U.S. Climate Action web site at http://www.usclimateaction.org/.

For local coverage of the event, see the following article from the Plattsburgh Press Republican:
http://www.pressrepublican.com/evening/local_story_177180231.html

The ARC Recognizes Dr. Elizabeth Thorndike

2008-07-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

At the Adirondack Research Consortium’s 15th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks held this May 21-22, 2008 in Lake Placid, newly elected ARC President Bill Porter presented outgoing President Liz Thorndike with a plaque recognizing her hard work and dedication to furthering the mission of the organization.

While stepping down as President, Liz will continue to serve the ARC Board of Directors in an expanded role on the Partnership and Fund Development Committee.

Liz has served as ARC Vice President from 2003 to 2006 and as President from 2006-2008. She served for fifteen and a half years as a commissioner of the Adirondack Park Agency and seven years as a trustee of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks. She is currently a board member of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). She has a PhD in the field of Natural Resource Policy and Planning from Cornell University where she is a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of City and Regional Planning.

The award presented to Liz reads as follows:

In Appreciation
Elizabeth Thorndike, Ph.D.

For your hard work and leadership as President of the Adirondack Research Consortium Board of Directors in guiding the organization to become a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, developing an ambitious strategic plan calling for long term organizational sustainability, encouraging growth and improvement in existing and new programs, raising substantial funds, and growing the partnership network in support all of these goals. Your personal commitment and leadership is an inspiration to all of us at The ARC, thank you Liz!

Adirondack Research Consortium
May 22, 2008

Dr. Gary Chilson Recognized

2008-07-02T01:02:00.000-07:00

At the 15th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks, Adirondack Research Consortium (ARC) Board Member Gary Chilson was honored by the organization for his fourteen years of hard work and dedication in founding and serving as editor of the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies (AJES). Under Gary’s leadership, AJES has become a widely respected publication which has remained true to its search for common ground and spirit of open dialogue. The views and articles it contains, have remained inclusive with a broad perspective about important issues concerning the Adirondacks and Northern Forest.

In the photograph above, ARC President Liz Thorndike (seated farthest to the right) thanks Gary and presents him with a plaque memorializing his achievements and significant contributions to the ARC during the Annual Membership Meeting held at the Crowne Plaza Resort and Golf Club in Lake Placid on May 22, 2008. ARC Executive Director Dan Fitts, newly elected President Bill Porter, and Secretary/Treasurer Eileen Allen (left to right) join Liz in the presentation.

Reseach Notes: Two studies show plants shift to higher elevations when climate warms

2008-07-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Researchers from the University of Vermont and Yale University studied tree species distributions in the Green Mountains from 1962 to 2005 and found that the upper range of lower elevation hardwoods had moved 91 to 119 meters higher during the study period, corresponding to a rise in average temperature and precipitation. Abstract: Beckage et al. PNAS. March 18, 2008. 105(11): 4197-4202.

A more long-range study in the mountains of western Europe shows a similar result. BBC news reports that scientists studied distributions of 171 plant species between 1905 and 2005 and found that, on average, populations have relocated their optimum ranges 29 meters higher in elevation each decade in response to climate change. Abstract: Lenoir et al. Science. 27 June 2008. 320(5884): 1768-1771.

Research Notes: Emerald Ash Borer found in Quebec

2008-07-01T16:10:00.001-07:00

The Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program sends word from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (similar to our USDA APHIS) that the emerald ash borer (EAB) insect has been found in the Montérégie region of Quebec bordering northern New York State. Humans are the number one vector for spreading EAB through transport of infested nursery stock, lumber, firewood and mulch. After infestation, the canopies of infested ash trees are dead within two years. USDA APHIS gives an excellent background on EAB in North America.

Research Notes: Content analysis and environmental dispute resolution

2008-07-01T12:38:00.000-07:00

The use of content analysis - a popular tool among social scientists - is now being used in applied ecology to help in environmental dispute resolution. A June 18th article in Science Daily outlines "... how content analysis allows differences in focus between stakeholder groups to be highlighted in a quantitatively rigorous way, and that this can encourage a dialogue to develop in which all stakeholders are at least addressing the same issues." Researchers from the University of Sheffield and the University of York applied the technique to the analysis of controversial plans to manage introduced species in Scotland. Might this work have extensions in the Adirondacks?

The full article in Science Daily is available at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080617204447.htm

Research Notes: New web-based forest threats tool

2008-07-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year the USDA Forest Service launched a web-based tool for viewing forest threats and connecting to current forest health research throughout the eastern United States. Environmental threats to forests include insects, diseases, invasive plants, climate change, wildland fire, and loss of open space. The tool is accessible through the Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center. Also see a short article from the January 2 issue of Science Daily. The center also publishes the quarterly Forest ThreatNet newsletter.

Research Notes: Effects of acid rain on microorganisms in Adirondack Lakes

2008-06-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

The June 27th issue of Science Daily reported on research at the Darrin Freshwater Institute of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on the effects of acid rain on microorganisms in Adirondack Lakes. According to the article,

The team found a general link between increased acidity and decreased bacterial diversity, but surprisingly, most of the dominant species of bacteria were not directly impacted by acidification. However, some rarer types of bacterial populations were significantly or strongly correlated to acidity, rising and falling with fluctuations in water pH. The findings could eventually allow scientists to use these bacteria as indicators of lake recovery, according to Sandra Nierzwicki-Bauer, director of the Darrin Fresh Water Institute and professor of biology.

The full article can be read at: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080623175401.htm. For more information on the research of the Darrin Freshwater Institute, see their web page at: www.rpi.edu/dept/DFWI/.

Next steps for Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies

2008-06-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

[The following editorial was published in the most recent issue of the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 14, No. 2, 2008]

Big Shoes, Next Steps

Jon D. Erickson

It was with appreciation and humility that I recently agreed to take on the role of executive editor of the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies. So many people from so many walks of life in the Adirondack region owe a debt of gratitude to Professor Gary Chilson for founding AJES, staying true to its search for common ground, and promoting dialogue around sustainable development through the window of the Adirondack experience. These are big shoes to fill, but ones I humbly accept because so much has been accomplished in the 15 short years since the creation of the Adirondack Research Consortium and its publication AJES, but also because so much more lays ahead.

The first issue of AJES in 1994 was published on the heels of turbulent political times in the Adirondacks. The journal and the research consortium helped to fill a void between entrenched positions along the preservation/development continuum by providing a neutral ground of sorts – shrouded in at least the spirit of academic objectivity – to share ideas and produce a body of research both emerging from and accountable to the region. The hope has been to publish both contemporary debates and peer-reviewed analysis across a broad range of issues and disciplines in a voice approachable by an audience larger than just typical academic circles. I’ve been fortunate to work with many people in the intervening years involved in planning and participating in annual conferences, writing and reviewing AJES articles, and building bridges between information producers and consumers. We’ve connected some dots, but much of the borderlands between discipline and perspective remain unexplored.

The opportunity nearly 15 years later is to continue to promote an arena for ground-truthing and fact-checking, aided by open minds and informed dialogue. AJES seeks to explore the nexus of environmental, social, and economic issues, and as such demands a transdisciplinary and participatory approach to inquiry. The world has problems but the academy has disciplines. More often than not they don’t overlap. The study of the Adirondack region, the larger Northern Forest, and similar biomes across the world requires an approach that transcends disciplinary boundaries and pushes for unified descriptions of human-dominated ecosystems from which management recommendations can emerge. And broad participation must not come only from credentialed expertise, but from all layers of society … citizen, scientist, and manager alike. As communities worldwide search for examples of genuine development – where economic activity doesn’t erode the very environmental foundation that makes life possible and worthwhile – the time is upon us to further open the lines of communication between the study of our means and the vocalization of our ends.

AJES can be that vehicle. We can hold on to the values and virtues of peer-review, while providing a forum for debate, shared understanding, and resolution. We can continue to merge disciplines through the study of place. We can extend the circle of those who speak with authority beyond academics speaking with other academics. And we can aide an ongoing, bottom-up process of visioning management objectives and clarifying decision alternatives.

But AJES can’t reach its full potential in print form, mailed to a fluctuating base of subscribers and publishing commentary and peer-reviewed analysis with a 6 to 12 month lag time. North Country communities are being pulled into the age of the internet (perhaps unwillingly for some), and so can AJES. The world of open-source learning is upon us, enabling faster review and publishing times, extending peer review to a broader group, extending avenues for commentary and feedback through web logged discussion, and creating active readers that can better shape research questions and target research results.

Gary Chilson (and too many colleagues to name) has built a foundation of disciplinary inclusion and broad perspective during the formative years of AJES and the Adirondack Research Consortium. The business of connecting information producers and consumers in real-time should be the next big step for AJES. In another 15 years time, let’s look back on the second generation of AJES with pride in having expanded the common ground still further. As we begin to plan for the next volume of AJES, I’d love to hear your thoughts about a move to an internet platform. I can be reached at jon.erickson@uvm.edu, or the old-fashioned way at 802-656-3328.

15th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks a Success

2008-05-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

The Adirondack Research Consortium’s 15th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks was held May 21-22, 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Resort and Golf Club, in Lake Placid, NY. Lake Placid’s world class hospitality, combined with engaging conference speakers and presentations, and excellent networking opportunities, all contributed to a successful event. Nearly 150 attendees enjoyed a strong program focused on the “Future Sustainability of the Adirondack Park”. The final program and research paper and poster abstracts have been posted on the webpage.

The ARC is busy working on the program for the 16th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks, May 20-21, 2009. Please, mark your calendars! We welcome your thoughts and ideas in the planning process. Watch our web page as more conference planning information will follow in the months to come.

The Adirondacks featured on PBS

2008-05-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Adirondack Park was featured this spring in a PBS special that premiered May 14, 2008. The feature included many folks that have been involved with the Adirondack Research Consortium since its inception, including Phil Terrie, Bill McKibben, and former ARC president Michael Wilson. From the program summary on YouTube:

Sprawled across six million acres in upstate New York, the Adirondack Park is by far the largest park in the lower 48 states. Yet it is the only one on the continent in which large human populations live and whose land is divided almost evenly between protected wilderness and privately owned tracts. Through the varied perspectives of many passionate characters, this program explores the remarkable history, seasonal landscape, and current state of the Adirondacks.

For more information visit http://www.pbs.org/theadirondacks/. For a sneak peak, check out the YouTube trailer below.

Research Notes: Black bears and human conflict

2008-05-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

Recent research by the Wildlife Conservation Society on the habituation of black bears with human food and garbage could have widespread management applications. A May 10th article in S cience Daily highlights research that suggests that, "Bears that steal human food sources are just as likely to form these habits on their own or pick them up from unrelated, 'bad influence' bears." The article also refers to research in the Adirondacks on the decline in human-bear conflicts due to the increased use of bear-proof trash canisters.

To view the full article, see:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105606.htm.

Research Notes: Shifts in Adirondack winter deer yards

2008-05-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Research on winter deer yards in the Adirondacks was published in the February 2008 issue of the Journal of Wildlife Management by Jeremy Hurst and William Porter of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Below is the abstract to the article, available at the website of the Wildlife Society.

In the Adirondack region of northern New York, USA, severe weather and deep snow typically force white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to congregate in areas of dense coniferous cover and along watercourses at lower elevations. We examined 16 yards in the Adirondacks and explored the observation that deer have changed their movement behavior to incorporate residential communities within their wintering areas. We compared locations of deer herds in 2003 and 2004 to deer wintering areas mapped during the 1960s and 1970s. Deer were predominantly absent in 9 of 16 historical yards but were present in residential communities within the same drainage. Yarding areas to which deer shifted contained more residential, deciduous, and mixed cover than yards where no shift occurred, indicating that deer in residential areas were using conifer and mixed cover at a finer scale than deer in nonresidential areas. Smaller winter ranges and core areas of marked deer in a residential winter yard further imply greater concentration of resources available in these areas. Marked deer demonstrated flexibility in core winter range fidelity, a behavior that allows for more permanent shifts as habitat and food resources change or as new areas with appropriate resources are encountered. Our study suggests that low-density residential areas in lowland conifer forests may provide an energetic advantage for deer during winter due to the assemblage of quality habitat interspersed with open areas and a variety of potential food sources in environments where movement is typically constrained by deep snow. Managers should consider the potential for changes in use of deer wintering areas prior to land conservation efforts and may need to adapt management strategies to reduce conflicts in communities occupied by deer during winter.

Research Notes: Science-based tourism management

2008-04-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

Using science to manage Northern Forest tourism and recreation
Kelly A. Goonan, Carena J. van Riper, Robert Manning, and Christopher Monz, University of Vermont

Outdoor recreation and tourism is a growing and important use of the Northern Forest— 26 million acres stretching from the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York to eastern Maine. Thousands of visitors are attracted to the region’s mountains each year. Ultimately, outdoor recreation must be sustainable to protect natural resources in the area and provide a high quality experience to visitors. Managing tourism and recreation in the Northern Forest in a sustainable manner will require informed decisions based on a strong scientific foundation. This calls for formulating indicators and standards of quality for natural resource conditions and the visitor experience. Indicators of quality are manageable, measurable variables that define the quality of natural resources and visitor experiences, and standards of quality define the minimum acceptable condition of indicator variables. The University of Vermont is conducting research to guide management of the Northern Forest for tourism and recreation. Once indicators and standards of quality are formulated, indicator variables will be monitored and appropriate management action can be taken to ensure that standards are maintained. This study will focus on four summits across the Northern Forest region, and data will be collected during the 2008 summer field season. A pilot study was conducted on CascadeMountain in New York during the summer of 2007. Data were collected on the summit area to assess resource and social conditions. These data will provide an initial framework from which additional summits will be examined in upcoming field seasons. This research is funded by a grant through the Northeast States Research Cooperative.

For more information, please visit www.uvm.edu/envnr/parkstudies and www.nsrcforest.org.

Research Notes: Lowland boreal bird habitat

2008-04-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

Habitat associations of lowland boreal birds
Kevin Jablonski, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

The lowland boreal habitats of the Adirondack Park are rare, poorly known, and threatened by climate change. They also harbor 13 bird species that are found few other places in New York State. The New York State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy urges the creation of a long-term monitoring program for these birds yet little is known about their habitat preferences. I will conduct intensive research into the habitat associations of lowland boreal birds during the summers of 2008 and 2009. This research will provide essential recommendations to the Wildlife Conservation Society for the design of a monitoring program, as part of their ongoing work in the Adirondack boreal areas.

Research Notes: Wildlife impacts from exurban development

2008-04-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Understanding the impacts to wildlife from exurban development in the Adirondack Park
Michale Glennon, Wildlife Conservation Society
Heidi Kretser, Wildlife Conservation Society and Cornell University

Building on our past work to disseminate information on effects to wildlife populations from low density rural sprawl in the Adirondacks and elsewhere (http://www.wcs.org/adirondackresearch#Development), WCS’ Adirondack program is currently engaged in a number of projects to address the overall issue of exurban development and wildlife with on-the-ground field research. With funding from the National Science Foundation, Biodiversity Research Institute, and the Northeastern States Research Cooperative, we are exploring the effects of residential development on a variety of taxa in the Park. Two of these projects investigate the effects of existing development on wildlife populations. We are examining the differences in breeding bird community integrity between subdivisions and adjacent control areas, as well as working to identify what defines a “wildlife disturbance zone” in the Adirondacks – the area around a home in which wildlife habitat should be considered altered by the presence of a residential structure and the associated activities of its inhabitants. A third project explores changes to small mammal, bird, and carnivore communities before and after construction of single-family residences. Collectively, these projects will provide valuable information for local land use planning and provide suggestions for planners to implement projects in ways that will minimize negative impacts to wildlife.

If you happen to be building a house and would consider participating in our study, contact us! www.wcs.org/adirondacks; 518-891-8872.

Research Notes: Modeling Adirondack - Tug Hill connectivity

2008-04-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Modeling Adirondack – Tug Hill connectivity
Michelle Brown and others
Adirondack Nature Conservancy and Land Trust, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust, Wildlife Conservation Society

Conservation work by the Nature Conservancy (TNC) and others has focused on securing core and buffer areas within the Adirondack Park and Tug Hill. However, the long-term viability of wide-ranging species inhabiting these regions will likely depend on maintaining connectivity across the intervening and relatively unprotected Black River Valley---where land conversion, second home development and transport infrastructure threaten to further fragment natural habitats. Through spatial connectivity modeling, we seek to identify areas that will maintain or increase landscape permeability for a suite of focal species including American marten, black bear, Canada lynx, cougar, moose, river otter, and scarlet tanager. Results will be used to guide land protection efforts to secure habitat stepping stones by TNC and others and will influence transportation planning and maintenance work to improve permeability of barriers. The spatial model and region-specific parameters will be useful in assessing connectivity potential within other areas surrounding the Adirondack Park (for example, the Saint Lawrence Valley).

Research Notes: Investment priorities in the Adirondack North Country

2008-04-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

How would you invest your dollars in a sustainable future for the Northern Forest?
William Porter and Anne Woods, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Jon Erickson, University of Vermont
Graham Cox, Audubon New York

In November 2006, at the Adirondack North Country Association’s annual meeting in Saranac Lake, researchers from SUNY ESF and UVM presented a summary of their focus group and opinion surveys to assess how people in the Adirondack/North Country would invest in a sustainable future for their communities. The summary of the results was published in the last edition of AJES. We are pleased to report that the ESF and UVM research team has been funded for the coming year by the Northeast States Research Cooperative (NSRC) to expand our survey to all four states in the Northern Forest – New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine – to ask 1,200 residents to express their opinions about a sustainable future. Saranac Lake consultants Holmes & Associates will work with the research team to conduct the telephone interviews, help analyze the results and compare them to the initial focus group and e-mail survey results reported in November 2006. In the initial project NSRC funded the research to ask two questions: if additional funds were available to invest in your community for a sustainable future, what would your priorities be? Second, would they get the same answers from local communities as they would get from a regional or statewide planning group? In short, the researchers set out to compare a ‘top down’ approach to setting priorities to a ‘bottom up’ approach. The intent of this expanded research project is two-fold: first, to use the survey results to help guide and influence future federal, state and private investment decisions at the community, state and regional levels; and second, have available a survey questionnaire and procedure that is replicable and repeatable, ready and adaptable for use and comparative purposes in any of the Northern Forest communities, state and regional segments.

For more information on this research see Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies, Vol. 14, No. 1, 2007.

Research Notes: Measuring economic well-being

2008-04-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

New measures of economic well-being for rural Vermont
Marta Ceroni, University of Vermont

The socioeconomic well-being of Vermont and the Northern Forest depends on the economic vitality of its communities as well as its natural resource wealth, social interactions, health and knowledge. Yet, classical measures of progress, such as the Gross Domestic Product, are based solely on economic growth, failing to measure what really matters to people. We used the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) to investigate the socioeconomic trends of six rural counties of Northern Vermont from 1950-2000 in a way that genuinely reflects the multiple dimensions of quality of life for the region and its communities. GPI in the most rural counties (Caledonia, Essex, Orleans) was below the U.S. average in 1950 but had risen above the national average by 2000. Rural counties had consistently lower crime rates, generated less solid waste, had less air, water, and noise pollution, and less loss of forest cover and wetlands but higher costs of underemployment. Such estimates can provide useful interregional comparisons of socioeconomic well-being.

For more information on this research see International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment, Vol. 3, No.2, pp. 132 - 153, 2007.

Research Notes: Old-growth riparian forests and stream habitats

2008-04-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

Old-growth riparian forests and effects on stream habitats
William Keeton, University of Vermont
Clifford Kraft and Dana Warren, Cornell University

Riparian forests regulate linkages between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, yet relationships among riparian forest development, stand structure, and stream habitats are poorly understood in many temperate deciduous forest systems. Our research in the Adirondack Park has 1) described structural attributes associated with old-growth riparian forests; and 2) assessed linkages between these characteristics and in-stream habitat structure. Indicators included coarse woody debris, debris dams, plunge pools, and variations in canopy structure over stream channels. We sampled 29 sites along 1st and 2nd order stream reaches in Five Ponds Wilderness, Pigeon Lakes Wilderness, the Ampersand Mountain area of the High Peaks Wilderness, a private preserve in the southwestern Adirondacks, and the SUNY ESF Huntington Wildlife Forest. We are finding that old-growth riparian forest structure is more complex than that found in mature forests and exhibits significantly greater accumulations of aboveground tree biomass, both living and dead. Old-growth riparian forests provide in-stream habitat features that have not been widely recognized in eastern North America, representing a potential benefit from riparian forest management. Our research results suggest that riparian management practices – including buffer delineation and restorative silvicultural approaches – that emphasize development and maintenance of late-successional characteristics may be useful where the associated in-stream effects are desired.

For further information see Ecological Applications, 17(3), 2007, pp. 852–868.

Research Notes: Disturbance and biotic integrity

2008-04-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Quantifying the relationship between anthropogenic disturbance and biotic integrity in the Adirondack Park
Anne Woods, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

This study investigates the response of biotic communities to anthropogenic disturbance in the Adirondack Park, and examines the relationship between land use and biotic integrity at the landscape scale. I developed an index of biotic integrity (IBI) for the Adirondack Park using data on bird guilds from the 2000-2005 New York State Breeding Bird Atlas (BBA). IBI was a better measure of biotic community condition than species richness, which was affected by sampling effort and responded non-linearly to disturbance. IBI was negatively related to development and open land covers and positively related to forest/wetland cover and elevation. IBI was predicted better by variables measured at the BBA block scale than larger scales. In the Adirondack Park, the biotic integrity of private lands used for natural resource management may be at risk of degradation from expanding development.

For more information on this research, please contact Anne Woods at the Adirondack Ecological Center.