Research and Strategic Planning for the Mount Mansfield Science and Stewardship Center

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Mountain forests and alpine zones of the Northeast are sensitive ecosystems that provide valuable opportunities for recreation, industry, and natural resource management. Because of their distinct biological and cultural attributes, they are important subjects for the study of ecosystem function, effects of natural and anthropogenic change, and the dynamics of social-ecological systems. However, the expense and logistical challenges of remote mountain research have hampered gains in knowledge and integration among academic and professional disciplines. The problem is especially pronounced in the region's montane forests, which lack a permanent platform to investigate climate change, acidification, mercury deposition and other anthropogenic stressors that disproportionately affect high elevations. The objective of this project is to produce a five-year strategic plan for the Mount Mansfield Science and Stewardship Center, a field station currently under consideration by the University of Vermont and collaborating institutions. The Mansfield Center is situated on a forested ridge at an elevation of 1,775 m in north-central Vermont. The surrounding 16,000 ha of wild and managed land have been the subject of scientific study for many decades, with continuous and coordinated investigations of mountain air, water, soil, flora, and fauna dating back to 1991. As eastern North America's only montane forest field station, the Mansfield Center will catalyze interdisciplinary studies of woodland and alpine ecosystems across the northern Appalachian and Adirondack ecoregions. The planning process involves engaging scientists, environmental decision-makers, the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS) Development Committee, and University of Vermont leadership to develop a comprehensive strategic plan to promote exchange between science and policy, while expanding participation in regional and international data cooperatives. Implementing the strategy will establish a new node in a worldwide network of mountain observatories that is emerging to investigate climate change and other global issues. The Northeast Mountain Science Conference will expand partnerships between academic and research institutions and produce concrete proposals to guide future work. These partnerships will extend to public and commercial stakeholders, informing policy and land management across the region. Once established, the Mansfield Center will offer UVM and visiting undergraduates access to a vast living laboratory, with varied opportunities for problem- and place-based learning. Groups that are underrepresented in environmental science, including urban students, will be recruited for participation in the education program. The center will support the training of graduate students and professionals through provision of study sites, demonstration plots, and exhibit space at the Mansfield Center and in the nearby Smuggler's Notch Visitor Center. These high-profile venues will reach thousands of visitors every year and illuminate the interdependence between people and mountain environments.