Notes on the inventory and monitoring of species in Acadia National Park

National Park Service, Acadia National Park

A report of species monitoring techniques and practices in Acadia National Park. Contains numerous proposals for long-term monitoring of the natural resources of Acadia National Park. BIRDS: Describes methods for monitoring birds of Mount Desert Island. INSECTS & ARACHNIDS: Recommends surveying and monitoring terrestrial insects in Acadia National Park. Concentrate on insects associated with particular plant species. FLORA - VASCULAR: Areas that need monitoring include: the disturbance, recovery, and nitrogen cycling of forest vegetation; and mapping and characterizing plant communities in watersheds. Focus should be placed on endangered, threatened, and rare species and the influence of fire and browsing on vegetation. GEOLOGY: Areas that need monitoring include the sea-level rise and its effects on erosion of bluffs and marshes. WATER QUALITY: Proposes a long-term study to monitor stream chemistry, both periodic and episodic, and surface water chemistry, measuring major chemical constituents and volumes. Also recommends monitoring pollutants using cellular physiological techniques with fresh water and marine fish. Precipitation should also be monitored long-term. SOILS: Proposes that the park inventory soil types and distribution in each watershed to help understand stream chemical and physical properties of these areas. AIR QUALITY: Acadia National Park needs to determine the nature of vegetation/pollution interactions. FIRE: To what extent is fire a factor in vegetation development. MAMMALS: Distribution and relative abundance of medium to large mammals, beaver, mink, and otter. INVERTEBRATES: Acadia National Park needs to inventory, monitor, and collect baseline data on aquatic macro-invertebrates and determine species of aquatic macro-invertebrates associated with particular habitats. Also establish sampling sites to provide baseline data on macro-invertebrate community structure. Notes the isopod Assellus racovitzae was transferred from Echo Lake to 'a number of other lakes' in an effort to serve as a fish food