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Acadia National Park, Maine

Park Location
 

Park Overview

Acadia National Park is a land of contrast and diversity. Comprised of a cluster of islands on the Maine coast, Acadia is positioned within the broad transition zone between eastern deciduous and northern coniferous forests, and hosts several species and plant communities at the edge of their geographic range. Steep slopes rise above the rocky shore, including Cadillac Mountain, which at 1,530 feet is the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic coast. While surrounded by the ocean, the entire fabric of Acadia is interwoven with a wide variety of freshwater, estuarine, forest, and intertidal resources, many of which contain plant and animal species of international, national and state significance.

Acadia National Park

 

Research Catchments

Two upland watersheds at Acadia National Park were instrumented in 1998 to provide a long-term foundation for ecological and watershed research at Acadia National Park. The sites are part of broader research programs addressing atmospheric deposition impacts in the Northeast. The initial goals at Acadia NP were to address watershed research questions about mercury, acid rain, and nitrogen saturation. The project design was based on natural differences in forests and soils induced by an intense wildfire in one watershed in 1947.

Acadia watershed locations

 
       
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