Appalachian Laboratory

Dr. Keith Eshleman honored with President's Award for fracking report

Ancient history holds clues to how species may respond to climate change

New research on why prairie dogs decide to leave their home territory

American chestnut restoration project begins at Appalachian Laboratory

UMCES researchers complete report on best management practices for shale gas development in Maryland

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The Appalachian Laboratory is dedicated to the study of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. We seek to better understand the effects of natural and human-induced changes on organisms, landscapes, and biogeochemical and hydrological cycles. We then apply scientific results to unravel the consequences of environmental change, manage natural resources, restore ecosystems, and foster ecological literacy.

The Appalachian Laboratory is the headquarters and administrative lead of the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CW CESU), a partnership among 22 university/research institutions and 9 federal agencies whose members strive to understand and protect the natural and cultural resources of the region.

The Appalachian Laboratory is located in the mountains of western Maryland, the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. directions

Now seeking nominations for the Richard A. Johnson Environmental Education Award. Deadline: November 1. Click here for details.

For more information about the Appalachian Laboratory, please visit the "About AL" page.

Graduate Student Highlights

Miriam Johnston recently joined the MEES Graduate Program as a Maryland Sea Grant Research Fellow working with Dr. Matt Fitzpatrick.  Her research focuses on modeling and spatial mapping of biodiversity in Maryland streams, including the impacts of urbanization on fish and macroinvertebrate communities.  Her work will engage managers and stakeholders to inform the conservation and restoration of stream systems that contribute to the functioning of the Chesapeake Bay.

 

Cortney Pylant, a graduate student working with Dr. David Nelson and Dr. Stephen Keller, was recently awarded an EPA STAR (Science to Achieve Results) Fellowship.  Administered within EPA by the National Center for Environmental Research (NCER), the STAR Fellowship Program promotes research to protect human health and the environment.  Cortney's research focuses on the impacts of wind turbine development on migratory bat populations.  Cortney is applying a novel combination of stable isotopes, genetics, and spatial modeling to address questions relating to migration patterns and how wind turbine mortality is impacting hoary and red bat population sizes and diversity in the Appalachian Mountains.