Assessment of natural resource conditions in and adjacent to Acadia National Park
Vaux PD, Nelson SJ, Rajakaruna N, Mittelhauser G, Bell K, Kopp B, Peckenham J, Longsworth G. 2008. Assessment of natural resource conditions in and adjacent to Acadia National Park. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/WRD/NRR—2008/069. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Following taken from Executive summary: 'This report is an assessment of condition of the natural resources of Acadia National Park (ACAD) and an evaluation of the threats and stressors that act on these resources. A variety of threats to habitat and biological integrity are management concerns at ACAD. Consequently, improved understanding of the state of knowledge regarding the condition of the Park's natural resources and the threats acting on these resources is needed to guide data collection and broader natural resource assessment efforts. As development continues to expand adjacent to the park boundaries and as visitor use increases, park managers are continually challenged to address a spectrum of issues such as water quality degradation, introduction of exotic species, air pollution, habitat fragmentation, recreational use, and others. These may all have dramatic impacts on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem function and integrity, and habitat quantity and quality. This Assessment focuses on three broad resource groups: Uplands, Freshwaters (lakes, streams, wetlands, groundwater), and Marine/Coastal areas. It is based entirely on compilations, syntheses and new analyses of pre-existing data, and an in-depth review of the scientific literature associated with ACAD. No new field data were collected for the study. The Assessment is intended to assist Park managers and external researchers by (i) providing a synthesis of information about natural resources at ACAD, (ii) describing the suite of threats known or thought to be affecting these resources, (iii) analyzing information from a series of metrics and other descriptors of resource condition, and (iv) evaluating information richness and identifying key information gaps. This report is structured into five primary sections: (i) Park Description; (ii) Resource Characterization (a synthesis of information describing the physical, chemical and biological resources of ACAD); (iii) Assessment of Threats (an in-depth review of the suite of environmental threats and stressors present in the Acadia region and their impacts on Park ecosystems); (iv) Assessment of Resource Condition (quantitative and qualitative analyses of data from metrics and other descriptors of resource condition); (v) Conclusions and Information Needs (a review of the extent of knowledge about natural resources at ACAD and key data gaps). The Park includes a mix of islands and ocean unequaled along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Most of the Park lands are on Mount Desert Island (MDI); other holdings are on the Schoodic Peninsula, Isle au Haut and several smaller islands. ACAD is located in a broad transition zone between southern deciduous and northern coniferous forests. Local habitats range from coastal to sub-alpine, and include old-growth spruce-fir and jack pine forests, meadows, freshwater wetlands and salt marsh, over 20 lakes (with some of the best water quality in the state), and a stream network occupying 12 major watersheds. Forests and human-affected areas comprise 75% and 10%, respectively, of the total area of ACAD and vicinity. Urban land and areas of herbaceous vegetation increased by 118% and 68%, respectively, between 1976 and 2002, with most of the increase in urban land cover occurring in a buffer area around the Park. ACAD harbors 54% of the plant species listed for Maine. Nearly 20% of ACAD plants are locally-rare or State-listed, while about a quarter are exotic. The Acadia area has over 200 resident bird species, as well as over 40 migrants. Twenty eight freshwater fish species, and 19 xvi amphibians and reptiles are known to be present in the Park. ACAD receives over 2 million visitors per year, with most visits occurring during the summer and fall months. (See external resource holding for full report). /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /MOUNT DESERT ISLAND/ /SCHOODIC PENINSULA/ /ISLE AU HAUT/ /ISLANDS/
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Vaux, Peter; Nelson, Sarah; Rajakaruna, Nishi; Mittelhauser, Glen; Bell, Kathleen; Kopp, Blaine; Peckenham, John; Longsworth, Gordon
- Date of Issue
- 2008-11
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- ACAD
- Keywords
- Abundance - density - biomass, Acidification, Air - deposition quality, Algae, Alkalinity - ANC, Amphibians, Aquaculture, aquatic macrophytes, Assessment - evaluation, Atmosphere, Bacteria - viruses - protozoa, Benthos, Biodiversity, biological integrity, Birds, Bryophytes, Chlorophyll, Climate - weather, Climate Change, Community Structure, Conductivity, Conservation, Contaminants, Dams - culverts - river barriers, Development (urban residential industrial), Dissolved Oxygen, Estuary, Exotics - invasive species, FIRE, Fish, fish passage, Fisheries, Forest, Forest management - harvest, Geographic Distribution, Geography - landscape, Groundwater, Habitat, Health, Human Impacts, Hunting - take, Hydrology, Indicators, Inventory - monitoring, Invertebrates, Islands, Isle Au Haut, Lake - Pond, lake morphometry, Land cover - land use, Land use - land cover, Landscape Ecology, Lichens, Mammals, Management, Mapping - GIS, Marine, Marine: intertidal, Marine: offshore, Mercury, Mount Desert Island, Native Species, night sky, Nitrogen, Nutrient Enrichment, Nutrients, Ozone, Pests-pathogens, pH, Phosphorus, Pollution: non-point source, Population structure - dynamics, Predation, Production, Reptiles, research recommendations, River-Stream, Salinity, Schoodic Peninsula, Shoreland-riparian, Soils - sediments, species introductions, Stocking, Temperature, Terrestrial, Terrestrial: forested, Terrestrial: unforested, Threatened - rare - endangered species, transparency, Visitor Impacts, Visitor use - behavior, Water Quality, Water quality - quantity, Wetland, Wildlife