e x p e r i e n c e y o u r a m e r i c a a.t. mega-transect national park service u.s. department...
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There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know. - Donald Rumsfeld Who is doing what?TRANSCRIPT
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C AE X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A
A.T. MEGA-TransectA.T. MEGA-Transect
National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceU.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Department of the InteriorNortheast Temperate NetworkNortheast Temperate Network
Fred Dieffenbach – National Park ServiceFred Dieffenbach – National Park Service
Who am I?Why am I here?
- James Stockdale, 1992
There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know. - Donald Rumsfeld
There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know. - Donald Rumsfeld
Who is doing what?Who is doing what?
A.T. MEGA-Transect: An A.T. MEGA-Transect: An IntroductionIntroduction
Monitor – Collect and synthesize existing and new data on key indicators of environmental health from agencies, organizations, researchers, and citizen scientists
Understand – Transform status and trend data into knowledge through analysis, synthesis, and modeling
Inform – Provide early warning of undesirable conditions or trends, such as climate change, as a means of better protecting the resources and reducing costs of management
Engage – Share knowledge by engaging, educating, and involving decision makers, stakeholder organizations, and citizens
A.T. MEGA-Transect: An A.T. MEGA-Transect: An IntroductionIntroduction
0
50
100
Monitor
Understand
InformEngage
ATC - Importance ATC - StrengthNPS - Importance NPS - Strength
A.T. MEGA-TransectA.T. MEGA-Transect
A concept vs. traditional organization Active vs. dormant
Current Status No office building Not independently
funded No staff
Agency & independent projects
Scientific protocols GIS toolkit New monitoring plan
MEGA-TransectCenter
Acid Deposition Forest Health Non-indigenous
Species NASA Decision
Support System Vegetation Mapping Water Quality American Chestnut Elevational
Landscapes Mountain Birds Phenology Rare Plant Monitoring
Acid Deposition American Chestnut Elevational
Landscapes Forest Health Non-indigenous
Species Mountain Birds NASA Decision
Support System Phenology Rare Plant Monitoring Vegetation Mapping Water Quality
Ongoing ActivitiesOngoing Activities
Acid DepositionAcid Deposition
USGS Project Investigating soil ANC
recovery process 3-4 year start to finish Combines
Intensive soil sampling
Forest vegetation Water
Began in 2010
Forest HealthForest Health
Forest Service data (FIA/FHM) helps us determine: How much Where it exists Who owns it How it is changing Is it growing or declining Disease
Non-indigenous Invasive Non-indigenous Invasive SpeciesSpecies
G.A. Cooper @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS DB
• Help identify and track the spread of problematic species
• New protocol - 2011
• Prioritize species of concern
• Raise awareness
NASA Decision Support NASA Decision Support SystemSystem
Received funding May 2009
Limited field work in 2010 Integrates satellite
imagery with ecological models, GIS data and on-the-ground projects to assist resource managers
Four year time frame.
Vegetation MappingVegetation Mapping
Aerial photography 2009 - 2011
Mapping and field work 2010 - 2013
Finished product 2015
Water QualityWater Quality
USGS producing a baseline report on AT water resources
Have identified potential WQ protocols
Future monitoring options under review
Rare Plant MonitoringRare Plant Monitoring Longest running A.T.
environmental monitoring program
New protocol Reset priorities
Mountain BirdsMountain Birds
Mountain “Birdwatch” methodology
Field manual GIS layers identify survey
locations Database & online entry system Field surveys at approximately
40 routes
PhenologyPhenology Biologically timed
events, for example: Frog calling Bud Break Fall foliage Bird migration Insect hatch
Where do we go from here? Do we continue looking for
funding to build an organization? Should NPS continue developing
scientific protocols? Does the existing citizen science
model work? Should we reassess our priorities
and objectives?
Where do we go from here? Do we continue looking for
funding to build an organization? TBD
Should NPS continue developing scientific protocols? YES
Does the existing citizen science model work? Qualified YES
Should we reassess our priorities and objectives? YES, YES, YES
Questions / DiscussionQuestions / Discussion
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C AE X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A
Northeast Temperate NetworkNortheast Temperate Network54 Elm Street, Woodstock, VT 0509154 Elm Street, Woodstock, VT 05091
http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/netn/http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/netn/802-457-3368802-457-3368
National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceU.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Department of the Interior