Appalachian LCC Funds Four Landscape-level Projects
Waterfall on the Appalachian Trail in northern Georgia. Credit: Matthew Cimitile
Four projects received funding to research major issues that transcend traditional political boundaries and impact multiple species and habitats. These projects will also develop information and tools that address ongoing and emerging challenges. They range in scope from assessing future energy extraction to modeling environmental impacts from changes in hydrology to land-use and climate change.
“The Appalachian region is one of the most ecologically diverse and intact ecosystems in the United States, but is facing tremendous conservation challenges” says Appalachian LCC coordinator Jean Brennan. “These projects will begin to address challenges that impact major areas of the Appalachian region and will assist our conservation and resource management community to better serve and benefit the people, economy, and environment”
Funded projects include:
Development of a hydrologic foundation and flow-ecology relationships for the Marcellus Shale Region – This project will develop models that predict ecological responses to changes in water flow within the Marcellus Shale region. Such models will help in the creation of region-wide flow policies to protect stream ecosystems and enhance long-term management of aquatic resources.
A stream classification system for the Appalachian LCC – A classification system will be created for streams and rivers in order to employ water flow standards and management recommendations so environmental flows can become a vital part to all water management decisions from the beginning.
Assessing future impacts of energy extraction in the Appalachian Mountains – By employing land use change build-out scenarios of future energy development, this project will measure future impacts of energy extraction on forest habitats across the Appalachian landscape.
Support for understanding land use and climate change in the Appalachian landscape – This project will compile climate change vulnerability assessments and other relevant information on vulnerable species and habitats to discern the different methods and criteria used. The most appropriate assessment methods will then be recommended for adoption by the Appalachian LCC and later deployed to generate further vulnerability information for a suite of key species and habitats.
In November 2011, the Appalachian LCC brought together more than 150 researchers and resource managers for a “Science Needs Workshop” that identified the major conservation areas the organization should focus on in the region. The Appalachian LCC then requested applications to achieve these research needs and received more than 100 project proposals.
The Appalachian LCC continues to work towards supporting additional projects that will develop the information and tools necessary for a more sustainable Appalachian landscape.
The Appalachian LCC is a science and management partnership to protect the valued resources and biological diversity of the Appalachian region.
