Proceedings of the Acadia National Park Science Symposium, October 26, 2011

Miller-Rushing, Abraham

From the summary: "Research Center (SERC), brought together 110 researchers, students, and park staff to discuss science taking place in and beyond the park boundaries. The symposium featured 5 invited talks and 56 posters describing results and plans for research in a range of disciplines, including natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. Particularly well highlighted at the symposium was the relationship between science and the management of protected areas in the region. Staff from the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service presented results of their own research and data collection efforts. And many researchers presented results that are already influencing management practices. For example, the National Park Service is already using the results of work done by Bob Manning and Jeff Marion to inform how they manage heavy visitor use to minimize negative impacts to natural and cultural resources and to visitor experiences. Also highlighted was the quality of long-term records in the Acadia region and their utility in understanding the history of natural processes and human-nature interactions over the past 100 or more years. For example, Steve Norton presented results from lake sediment cores that show the history of climate change, soil development, vegetation establishment and succession, and air pollution for over 16,000 years, since the formation of Sargent Mountain Pond, the first lake in Maine to occur after the last glacial period. Catherine Schmitt presented a timeline showing the history of science in Acadia National Park. Hale Morrell showed the results of research on the natural history of Northeast Creek watershed, and Tim Garrity described the history of women’s suffering in Mount Desert. We plan to continue this symposium on an annual or biennial basis in the years to come. We hope that it continues to highlight the important research taking place in this area and to facilitate the creation of new relationships and collaborations among researchers doing complementary work."