Cary Institute tracks ecosystem trends via broad Environmental Monitoring Program

MILLBROOK —  Ecology is a wide-ranging topic, and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies has presented many informational discussions and papers over the years. With a large number of scientists on board, there are many forums and discussions on its website as well as educational programs open to the public via Zoom, online, or at the Institute itself. It also sees national and international fame with its Environmental Monitoring Program.

The Environmental Monitoring Program is a research program designed to monitor environmental parameters that can affect our ecosystems. It monitors weather and climate, but it also watches for many other things such as air, precipitation and stream water chemistry, and includes solar radiation and water as well. It monitors stream flow and temperature, and soil moisture and temperature. The program is managed by Cary scientist Victoria Kelly.

The program began in 1984 when the Institute began the collection and analysis of precipitation as well as samples from streams. New equipment was brought in by 1987, allowing the measurement of stream temperature and height. Other abilities added were instruments that allowed the measuring of temperature, relative humidity, wind, and solar radiation.

The importance of monitoring covers many areas, including acid rain, discovered in North America in 1963 by scientist Gene Likens when working with colleagues at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. If the name Likens sounds familiar, it is because Gene Likens founded what is today the Cary Institute.

Data from the program have been used to study the impact of road salt on watershed districts and plant and animal life. Kelly has long been concerned with the effects of road salt on the environment.

She stated: “A concerning trend that has emerged from the Wappinger Creek dataset is increasing salinity – the result of salt treatments applied to icy winter roads. Salt accumulates in the soil and groundwater and can take decades to flush out. Salt pollution threatens drinking water and ecosystem health.”

The monitoring of climate can show the impact of the changes on plant and wildlife, including lifecycle events. Steve Hamilton, a freshwater ecologist at Cary Institute explained: “Environmental monitoring is how ecologists keep a finger on the planet’s rapidly-shifting pulse. By tracking ecological indicators over long timescales, we can identify patterns and better understand how ecosystems are changing. This understanding will guide us as we work to adapt to and mitigate environmental degradation.”

Cary aquatic ecologist Stuart Findlay leads a network of citizen scientists who monitor submerged aquatic vegetation throughout the freshwater portion of the Hudson River. One chore is to monitor the native celery beds.

Said Findlay, “Native water celery beds are especially important, as they provide essential habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms.” These can be put in danger by invasive species, but by close monitoring, it is possible to help conserve native plants and target invasive species management efforts.

The monitoring takes place in several locations, including Cary Institute. Weather stations can be found at Millbrook School and in Poughkeepsie. The freshwater monitoring program spans local to international scales – starting with Wappinger Creek, which has been monitored since the 1980s. Stream gauging equipment is located on the east branch of Wappinger Creek in the Fern Glen on Cary Institute property.

Cary ecologist Kathleen Weathers is a co-founder of Global Lakes Ecological Network (GLEON), which has a network of people who monitor lakes, collecting information internationally on water quality, weather and gas exchange between lakes and the atmosphere. Algae blooms, which can become toxic, are often composed of cyanobacteria, which can make the water become undrinkable, toxic, and unusable recreationally.

Weathers related: “We are making efforts to forecast cyanobacterial outbreaks using imagery, drones and long-term on-the-ground data throughout the Northeast. The efficacy of these systems relies on long-term environmental monitoring.”

Cary also hosts sites for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Ambient Air Monitoring Program for ground-level ozone; and the USDA-ARS Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory.

Stuart Findlay, left, and David Fischer monitoring aspects of the Hudson River, part of Cary Institute’s Environmental Monitoring Program. Photo submitted

Community ecologist Jane Lucas checks monitoring samples involved in Cary Institutes Environmental Monitoring Program. Photo submitted

Stuart Findlay, left, and David Fischer monitoring aspects of the Hudson River, part of Cary Institute’s Environmental Monitoring Program. Photo submitted