212-Alpine Vegetation in the Adirondacks (NYS)
Alpine zones are high mountain environments with limited vegetation and weather conditions comparable to arctic regions. The types of vegetation found in alpine zones are unique because they have adapted to the extreme environment. Various types of shrubs are found in the alpine region of the Adiron...
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KnightScholar
2024
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| Online Access: | https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/great-day-symposium/great-day-2024/posters-2024/59 https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/context/great-day-symposium/article/1636/viewcontent/212_GREATDayPoster_Mahar.pdf |
| Summary: | Alpine zones are high mountain environments with limited vegetation and weather conditions comparable to arctic regions. The types of vegetation found in alpine zones are unique because they have adapted to the extreme environment. Various types of shrubs are found in the alpine region of the Adirondacks because of their ability to resist frost anddesiccation, and they often grow low to the ground and stay relatively small at their full size. Many alpine zones are a part of national parks or protected areas, such as theAdirondack Park of New York State. The purpose of this project was to map the prevalence of unique alpine species on Adirondack alpine summits. It emphasizes the spatial patterns of these species and where they are most and least commonly found. Data were recorded from iNaturalist, a citizen science platform, on eight species of rare alpine vegetation: Alpine Goldenrod (Solidago leiocarpa), Alpine Sweetgrass (Anthoxanthum monticola), Bearberry Willow (Salix uva-ursi), Bigelow’s Sedge (Carex bigelowii), Black Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), Diapensia (Diapensia lapponica), Highland Rush (Oreojuncus trifidus), and Lapland rosebay (Rhododendron lapponicum). After selecting the species, data collected from each alpine summit was organized into data tables, showing how many times each species was observed per summit. Summits were mapped and results were presented as a proportional-symbols pie-chart map. Results show mountains Whiteface, Algonquin, and Wright had the highest numbers of unique species, and Diapensia, Alpine Goldenrod, and Bearberry Willow were observed most often. This project highlights the rarity and fragility of alpine vegetation on Adirondack alpine summits. |
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