Kent P. McFarland Rosalind B. Renfrew Christopher C. Rimmer
Vermont Institute of Natural Science 6565 Woodstock Road PO Box 1281 Quechee, Vermont 05059 www.vinsweb.org/cbd
Mountain regions occupy one-fourth of the earth’s surface, both influencing and being influenced by ecological processes, human activities, and the interaction of the two throughout the globe. Elevational gradients imply relatively drastic changes in hydrological, biogeochemical, and ecological processes over short distances. The highest elevations are usually least affected by direct human influence, making mountain systems ideal candidates as baseline indicators of environmental change.
Mountain ecosystems are a dominant force in the NEON-designated Northeast domain, with four mountain ranges spanning the region. These systems occur as archipelagos of discrete “sky islands” that provide a unique, natural laboratory to evaluate the influence of climatic and ecological variability on a vast spatial scale and along a topographical gradient. Among the most sensitive indicators of environmental change, these systems are more susceptible than lowlands to stressors such as global warming, atmospheric pollution, and certain land uses. The threats posed to mountain ecosystems are compounded by the small size and isolation of high-elevation habitat patches.
During the first 15 years of its Mountain Ecosystem Studies (MES) program, the Conservation Biology Department (CBD) of the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) has conducted pioneering investigations of avian ecology, ecotoxicology, and climate change impacts. MES is based on an integrated approach to observe, model, and monitor effects of global change on montane systems within the Northeast domain.