PI's: Kaplan, Louis; Newbold, Denis J.; and Jackson, John K. Institutions: Stroud Water Research Center
This project addresses long-term changes in the ecosystem of a stream located an agricultural region of southeastern Pennsylvania. Stroud Water Research Center scientists will focus on segments of White Clay Creek, a designated National Wild and Scenic River System watershed, that flow through: a 60- to100-year-old forest; a 20-year-old reforested meadow; and a permanent meadow. Because scientists do not fully understand either the short-term dynamics or the long-term stability of stream ecosystems, this study will measure (1) the benefits of a forested stream compared to a meadow stream and (2) the time frames needed to reach milestones for stream restoration and reforestation projects. Scientists with expertise in chemistry, biology, and ecosystem modeling will combine efforts to sample, analyze, and describe the composition and activities of biological communities in the stream and its watershed.
The research on White Clay Creek will provide an evaluation of best management practices in agriculture and a time frame for ecosystem recovery as a result of those practices. Stroud Center educational and outreach programs will then convey these findings to farmers and landowners for direct implementation, to public officials and community groups for policy considerations, and to the teachers and students who will inherit the watershed.
