Abiotic Controls on the Tropic Status of Oligotrophic Water

This research will investigate how the elements aluminum (Al) and phosphorus (P), both originally from soil, interact in water moving through soil pores to downstream lakes in ways that prevent P from being biologically available to algae in surface waters. This causes oligotrophic conditions (i.e., water with very low nutrient concentrations). Solid aluminum hydroxide will adsorb and can permanently capture P from the water if the acidity is low. Changes in the acidity of surface waters from acid rain , climate change, or other factors should induce changes in the interaction between Al and P, and thus changes in the biological productivity of surface waters. These water quality responses will be investigated with laboratory and field experiments, studies at four long-term watershed sites (in Maine, West Virginia, and the Czech Republic), and dynamic process-oriented mathematical models.Phosphorus is commonly the limiting nutrient for organisms in streams and lakes. An excessive supply of P to surface water from natural sources or human activities can cause eutrophication (highly productive water), a condition that can have undesirable effects. The supply of P to many surface waters is high, but the majority of the P is not available for biota, causing oligotrophic conditions. This research will explain the conundrum of high fluxes of P in ecosystems, yet oligotrophic conditions in associated surface waters

Unconformities at the Northern End of the Berkshire Highlands

Guidebook for field trips in New York, Massachusetts and Vermont: 61st annual meeting at the State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York October 10, 11, 12, 1969: Trip 2

TB118: Composition of Precipitation at the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) Site in Greenville, Maine

This report presents results of the analyses of samples collected at the Greenville, Maine, NADP station. The Greenville NADP/NTN station is in Piscataquis County at longitude 69°39\u2752 and latitude 4S°29\u2723 at approximately 322 meters elevation.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1078/thumbnail.jp

LTREB: Forest Ecosystem Response to Changes in Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM)

The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM) is a long-term paired, forested watershed research site with each watershed drained by a first order stream through a v-notch weir. One watershed (West Bear) has been treated bimonthly for 12 years with N and S by aerial helicopter applications, with the second watershed (East Bear) serving as the reference watershed. The objectives of this LTREB proposal are to: 1. Study the response of the calibrated East Bear Watershed to long-term patterns of ambient S, N, and base cation deposition. This will be accomplished by maintaining high quality deposition and stream export data from the reference watershed in support of research on ecosystem processes and change over time funded by this project and others. 2. Study the temporal progression of N saturation at the West Bear Watershed. This will be accomplished by continuing the decadal-scale whole ecosystem N & S addition experiment ongoing at the West Bear Watershed. 3. Determine if a definable relationship exists between short and longer-term climate and the biogeochemical and hydrologic processes currently under study at both watersheds. This will be accomplished by establishing an air and soil temperature measurement program across major ecosystem compartments at BBWM. Studies will focus on the relationships between temperature, N dynamics (mineralization, nitrification), and surface water N export in both the reference and treated watersheds, and we will evaluate the efficacy of using heat units to predict ecosystem behavior with respect to these processes. 4. Provide support to strengthen the data management efforts at the BBWM, thereby making this long-term record more accessible to the scientific community with an interpretive interface to be used by educators and policy makers through an expansive web presence. A major emphasis of this LTREB proposal is the development of a layered web presence on the BBWM project that provides access to data and highlights for policy makers, educators and researchers. 5. Provide support for graduate student training and undergraduate student experiences in research. Findings from this research have proven to be turnkey to date in regional and national debates on the effects of acid deposition and the risk of N saturation to forests and surface waters of New England. The compelling justification for supporting the long-term program of research at BBWM is that changes in response to changing ambient deposition of N and S (East Bear), long-term chemical manipulations (West Bear), and seasonal and inter-annual climate variation after 11+ years are showing mechanisms of response that were not discernable within the first 2-3 years of the study. These long-term mechanisms of response are frequently overlooked when research is conducted on short-term funding cycles. The long-term and unique responses being investigated at BBWM will be critical for adequately assessing policy and management options regarding air pollution and climate change in the 21st century

Beryllium Biochemistry in a Forested Ecosystem

High rates of atmospheric deposition of beryllium are toxic biologically and are exacerbated by synergistic interaction with aluminum. The Czech Republic is experiencing growing problems, and similar consequences may well soon be experienced in Maine. An expert international research team would pursue parallel pilot studies into the biogeochemical controls on Be fate and transport by examining beryllium biogeochemistry in forested ecosystems. This project funds the work in Maine and travel for international collaboration; the Czechs are supporting the work in their country. The plan for the pilot study is to develop chemical time series for beryllium fluxes into, through, and out of watersheds in a paired study in the Bear Brook Watershed where one watersheds is being artificially acidified with ammonium sulfate. The study evaluates the fluxes of total BE and 7Be at the forest floor, leaving the watersheds, and in litter fall. Be in stream vegetation and sediment is being evaluated before and after acidic discharge events to assess temporary exchangeable pools

Collaborative Research: Interactive Effects of Chronic N deposition, Acidification, and Phosphorus Limitation on Coupled Element Cycling in Streams

The overarching goal of this project is to understand how chronic acidification and nitrogen enrichment of watersheds influences coupled biogeochemical cycling in streams. Embedded in the project were two primary research elements: 1) examining nitrogen satuartion and the extent of coupling between nitrogen and phosphorus cycling and 2) resolving the interactions among acidification, phosphorus bioavailability and biotic demand for nitrogen and phosphorus. The research involved a series of stable isotope tracer experiments to document nitrogen uptake under ambient and elevated phosphrous conditions and examination of a suite of key microbial processes (denitrification, decomposition, microbial enzyme activity) at two whole-watershed experiment sites. A microcosm experiment was used to examine the influence of acidity stress on animal and microbial stoichiometry

LTREB: Biogeochemical Mechanisms of Response in the Third Decade of Whole-Ecosystem Experimental Manipulations at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM)

This grant will support the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM) where research has been conducted for approximately 20 years on the effects of atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition on forests. The research is conducted on two watersheds, each drained by a first order stream. One is treated bimonthly by helicopter to simulate atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen. Over the past 20 years, this research has identified and verified key factors governing forest response to air pollution, and also revealed major gaps in our understanding that are critical to determining the success of current and potential future regulations under the Clean Air Act and its amendments of 1990. Recent research is also studying how climate interacts with other air pollutants to determine water quality and forest health. This grant will support the project into the third decade where new ecological response mechanisms are emerging that can only be investigated by long-term, multi-decadal research.The broader impacts of this project include the training of undergraduate and graduate students who will be the scientific leaders of tomorrow. This research provides direct evidence of whole-ecosystem responses to chemical treatments that simulate air pollutants providing results not possible from controlled laboratory studies. The issue of acid deposition remains a concern for forest ecosystem health and water quality. There are also direct interactions between climate and acid deposition that few field research sites in the world are prepared to study. This research directly addresses those information needs for today and the future

Strategic Leadership: Do Supply Chain Management Leaders make Better Senior Executives?

Starting in the 1990’s, various companies began to see Logistics and Supply Chain Management as tools to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace (Li et. Al., 2006). The rise of Supply Chain Management (SCM) as a critical element of various companies’ strategies raises the question of the abilities of various leaders. For most companies, there is an assumption that the senior leader(s) should be a person whose operational and tactical experiences are in the basic function the company performs (i.e., a manufacturing company would be best led by an engineer that progressed through the manufacturing process/floor/plant/etc.) However, the assumption that tactical success will result in strategic success is likely flawed. Furthermore, many organizations struggle to develop talented managers to become excellent strategic leaders. It is estimated that organizations in the United States spend up to $200 billion annually to train their workforce (Salas and Cannon-Bowers, 2001). A second study identified that over half of CEOs (62%) recognized the importance and challenges of developing trained employees (Mourao, 2018). While neither study focused specifically on strategic leadership or training, both highlight the importance companies have traditionally placed on the development of their organizations’ individuals. Given this importance across all levels of the organization, it would be safe to assume that the critical nature of strategic leadership would be equally, if not more, important to develop key employees’ skills. However, the question becomes how to select and develop the best candidates for strategic development. Traditionally, organizations were likely to choose managers for promotion that matched their primary business (Breaugh, 2011). For example, a manufacturing firm would like choose an engineer with an operations background to be its CEO or key strategic The assumption is that the functions, skills and abilities that make a person successful in an area, lead to their promotion to higher and higher levels within that organization and would be best suited to the C-level. Perhaps a better approach would be to develop strategic leaders from a pool of managers that have strategic level responsibilities within their organization. The implication is that a SCM executive is often positioned earlier in their career and has boarder set of responsibilities than many functional leaders and could possibly be a better candidate for the strategic level position. This abstract is an early step in developing the literature, theories, propositions and methodology needed to examine the role of SCM leaders as future strategic leaders in organizations

TB88: Descriptive and Comparative Studies of Maine Lakes

This is a descriptive and comparative study of 17 lakes in Maine. The major objectives of this study are (1) to characterize the pelagial zone of the lakes physically, chemically, and biologically, (2) to assess bacterial pollution, (3) to compare the lakes to each other and classify them trophically, and (4) to compare the lakes to others in different geographic regions.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1117/thumbnail.jp