ABOUT SPARC

SPARC is an on-line forum designed to facilitate access to information about research in catchments of U.S. National Parks. Catchments integrate ecosystem responses to the environment, and to changes in the environment. Following up on the EPA/NPS PRIMENet initiative, our goal is to create a web-based information network for gauged catchments in National Parks. The purposes of this network include: 1) providing guidance for uniform methods and site design; 2) facilitating collaboration and increasing regional/national cooperation; 3) developing national assessments on status and trends; and 4) increasing awareness about related research on a national scale. This integration will make the results from separate projects more relevant to national-scale research issues and regulations.

SPARC is served and staffed by the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research at the University of Maine. SPARC provides links to research sites in all of the “SPARC Parks”. However, at this time, information compilation is most complete for Maine’s Acadia National Park. For Acadia, you can review studies carried out in the paired research catchments and other parts of the park. For some of these studies, there are direct links to the data via the PEARL website. You can also search an extensive bibliography of park-related research.