Mountain Lakes as sentinels of change in the northeast

Speakers: Dr. Rachel Hovel and Dr. Julia Daly

High-elevation lakes in the northern Appalachian Mountains are unique in a number of regards: they exist in a
more forested landscape than alpine lakes in other mountain ranges, and they experience fewer direct anthropo
genic impacts and colder climatic zones compared to lower-elevation lakes in the northeast. Due to their remote
nature, these lakes can help illuminate regional signals in changing climate and atmospheric deposition, and their
elevation and size can contribute diversity in lake characteristics across the landscape. In this talk, we will share
background on a research program on nine lakes in the western Maine mountains, present long-term trends in
water chemistry, and explore interactions between water chemistry, temperature, and biological response. As these
lakes recover from the impacts of atmospheric deposition of pollutants (“acid rain”), new climate conditions are
shaping seasonality and productivity. Our talk will also discuss the recreational attributes of these lakes, and share
opportunities for community science involvement.
Photo Credit – Hovel and Daly
Dr. Rachel Hovel is an aquatic ecologist who studies fishes and invertebrates across a
range of freshwater habitats. Major themes of her research include species interactions,
the timing of ecological events, and biodiversity of species and life histories. In
particular, she is interested in how changes to freshwater environments–especially
climate change–influence aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Rachel’s research
currently takes place in the Canadian Arctic and the lakes of Maine.
Dr. Julia Daly is a geologist at UMF with a focus on geomorphology and climate
change. She is broadly interested in the connections between changing climate and the
signature of this change in both modern watersheds and the geologic record. An inter
est in the mountains of western Maine led her to begin collecting data in the mountain
ponds around 2010. In addition to the mountain ponds project, she works with UMF
students to document changes associated with dam removal in Temple Stream.
For more information visit www.mainemountainponds.wordpress.com