Location: From Katahdin in Maine to Springer Mountain in Georgia
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,200-mile trek through mountains, meadows and forests stretching from Georgia to Maine. This according to scientists is an environmental lab. It could be the key to provide warnings of looming environmental problems before they fall upon us.
By collecting and reporting information on nature , people will get a first hand example of how far the environment is depleting. Groups of organizations will use “citizen scientists” as well as professionals. They will be collecting information about the health of plants, air and water quality and animal migration patterns to build an early warning system for the 120 million people along the Eastern Seaboard.
Brian Mitchell, a coordinator with the park service’s Northeast Temperate Network in Woodstock says:
We’re really after two things, We want to get a better understanding of what’s happening on the trail so we can better manage it. The other side is we want to take the lessons we learn from the trail and show people that what’s happening on the trail does actually affect us.
Wildlife: Moose, White-tailed deer , Black bears , beavers , porcupines, bats, weasels, shrews, minks, and muskrats are also common. Tree frogs and bullfrogs inhabit wet areas in warm weather, lizards scurry along rocks and fallen logs, snakes (both poisonous and nonpoisonous) are common south of New England, and streams and ponds are home to salamanders.
The trail varies from easy hiking to very difficult rock scrambling, from busy national parks to isolated wilderness areas. The Appalachian Mountains are ideal for the project because they are home to one of the richest collections of temperate zone species in the world. They also have a variety of ecosystems that blend into one another - hardwood forests next to softwood forests next to alpine forests. The trail along the mountain chain passes through 14 states and eight national forests. All in all the project is a great idea. If you can volunteer for it do go ahead and do so!
Via: Yahoo News
Comments
Wow, very nice article. The Appalachian Trail is a adventure enthusiasts, you can see nature trail some never seen before. Appalachian Trail is a 2200 miles trek, From Georgia to Maine you can see many natural surrounding like mountains, laurel pastoral lands and dense forests. South of New England you can see poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, Lizards are also running on the rock. visit national parks to see wild animal. Appalachian Trail is a best place for research of temperate zone species allover the world. For more details refeer http://www.travelfront.com/gauging-live-laboratory-in-appalachian-track/