Student Experience

In order to evaluate the impact of climate warming on lakes in the Adirondack Park, we assessed the changes of ice cover (ice-on, ice-off, and total ice duration) on fifteen Adirondack lakes. Monthly precipitation and temperature variables were compared to each lake to determine the predictors for the changes in lake ice cover. Two different time periods were used, ice data ranging in availability from 1873 to 2023 and a 20-year period from 1985 to 2005 with only twelve of the fifteen total lakes included in the later period. We observed a decrease in overall lake ice duration as a result of mainly later ice-on dates and partially earlier ice-off dates for both time periods. November and December temperatures were found to consistently predict changes to ice-on dates with March and April temperature found to predict changes in ice-off dates. November, December, March, and April temperatures were found to be predictors of the changes to total ice duration. Precipitation was rarely found to be a climatic predictor of change for any of the ice cover variables. With the decrease in ice duration, thermal strata, water chemistry, biotic communities, and ecological processes can potentially be impacted. The increase in temperature and the relationship with ice cover will likely result in shorter ice durations in the future and can potentially lead to ice-less winters.

It is known that acid deposition has created the acidification of lakes in the Adirondack Park from industry releasing significant amounts of gaseous nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides. With this acidification we see a shift in the chemical composition of lakes throughout the park. Acid deposition has major effects on a multitude of lake chemical constituents like declines in pH, increases in sulfate, loss of calcium, and declines in Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC). With the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, we have seen the decrease of acid deposition. This study investigates the overall change in chemistry of Adirondack lakes from the mid 1980’s to present. With field sampling and chemical analysis for analytes that dictate water quality like chloride, pH, DOC, and other constituents. We can determine significant change over time through a statistical comparison of the 1980’s Adirondack Lake survey and data collected in the summer of 2022. Our study shows that Adirondack lakes are recovering from acid deposition with the increase in overall Acid Neutralizing Capacity and pH while seeing an overall decrease in sulfate on smaller sub watersheds. While this is occurring, we also see an increase in chloride from road salt application and historic land use allowing for surface run off to occur. These findings can help understand long term health of the parks lakes and how undeveloped lakes can still be impacted by road salting.

Recent declines of many boreal birds have been documented in the last decade and area attributed to changing climate and human development. One factor that has not been studied in the critical boreal peatland habitats in the Adirondack Park is the occurrence and influence of small mammals preying on passerine boreal bird nests. The hypotheses tested were (1) small mammals occupy forested peatlands in a higher abundance than open peatlands at the study sites and (2) boreal bird nests in forested peatlands are more likely to be preyed on by small mammals than nests in open peatlands. Baited track tubes were placed on transects within open and forested peatlands and activity was estimated from prints left on contact paper, and artificial nests and eggs were used to compare the difference in nest predation between open and forested peatlands. There was a difference in small mammal activity between forested and open bog at the Paul Smith’s VIC study area, but results were not significant at Shingle Shanty medium bog. 67% of artificial nests in the forested bog at the VIC were destroyed, and only 14% were destroyed in the open bog. At Shingle Shanty, 83% of the nests were destroyed in the forested bog and 0% of artificial nests were damaged in the open bog.

The primary goal of this research was to create a Bird Integrity Index (BII) to be used for the ecological integrity analysis of streams and their related riparian zones in the northern Adirondack Park based on frameworks provided by previous research in Oregon. Fifty-eight metrics were tested from avian survey (point count) data along fifteen stream reaches of 0.5km in length. These metrics represented aspects of avian taxonomic richness, dietary preferences, foraging techniques, tolerance or intolerance to human disturbance, and nesting strategies. To evaluate the responsiveness of each metric, they were plotted against an index of stream condition based on sampling of benthic macroinvertebrates according to the outline provided by the stream biomonitoring research unit of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Five of the fifty-eight candidate metrics remained after removing metrics that had an R2 value of less than .2 or were highly correlated. Individual avian metric scores ranged from 0-10 and BII scores were set on a scale of 0-100. While the BII presented here was successful in responding to varying conditions based on disturbance levels (R2= .64), due to multiple unexpected relationships between avian metrics and stream condition, it is proposed that more in-depth and comparative research be completed before an Adirondack specific BII is presented for field usage.

Volunteer lake management programs (VLMPs) across the country employ different surface water sampling techniques to establish long-term trends in nutrient availability and trophic state. The three most common techniques are a surface grab (SG), 2m integrated tube sampler (IT), and a discrete sampler, such as a Van Dorn or Kemmerer bottle deployed to a depth of 1.5m (DD). These various sampling techniques vary not only in depth, but also in cost and ease of use. The objectives of my study are to 1) determine if there is a statistical difference in chlorophyll-a (chi-a) and total phosphorus (TP) concentration obtained between the three different sampling techniques, 2) determine if the treatment effect (sampling device) varies over time, 3) determine which method has the least amount of variability, and 4) determine if sampling technique ultimately influences trophic state classification. The study was conducted on Upper St. Regis Lake, Paul Smiths, New York. I collected 10 samples from the lake using the three different techniques during the months of June - August, 2015. I found a significant difference in chlorophyll-a concentration between sampling techniques during June and July, and during the month of July for TP. The three sampling techniques yielded similar variability for chlorophyll-a but significantly different variability for TP. Ultimately, the trophic status rating for Upper St. Regis was not effected by sampling technique. My study suggests that VLMP should utilize a SG or IT rather than a costly DD sampler.