Ph.D. student awarded fellowship to conduct research in Acadia
One of this year’s Acadia Science Fellows is a doctoral student in the University of Maine School of Forest Resources, Colby Bosley-Smith.
The fellowship program is an initiative of the Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park supported by the David Evans Shaw Family Foundation, Sibley-Saltonstall Charitable Foundation and individual donors. Fellows inform management and protection of the park’s resources.
Bosley-Smith plans to set up 60 sensors throughout the park to monitor microclimate, the particular conditions underneath the forest canopy that affect tree seedlings and saplings. Over the course of three years, the sensors will record soil moisture and temperature, air temperature and relative humidity. Additional data will come from the Northeast Temperate Network, a National Park Service (NPS) program monitoring long-term forest health at 176 sites at Acadia.
Like many national parks, Acadia is experiencing rapid changes. The impacts of these changes are still largely uncertain, challenging NPS to manage and protect both natural and cultural resources.
“Acadia is a place for conservation innovation, and the Acadia Science Fellows play a key role in developing and translating science into action,” said Schoodic Institute President & CEO Nicholas Fisichelli.