NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Jan Fiderio at 603.283.2107

July 19, 2011 for Immediate Release

AUNE Study Asks: Can Trampled Vegetation on Mount Monadnock Recover?

Project may help salvage plant life on mountain’s summit

(Keene, NH) -- Chris Beltz, a master’s student in the Department of Environmental Studies at Antioch University New England (AUNE), has lugged nearly five hundred pounds of compost, spades, shovels, metal probes, jute mats and more to the summit of Mount Monadnock. “It’s definitely the worst part of the project,” he said.

The project is his thesis, a study of vegetation regrowth in crevice communities. Crevice communities are small areas of plants and soil scattered among exposed rock at high altitude—in Monadnock’s case, within 200 feet of the mountain summit. The environment is harsh and, where hikers fail to stay on the trails, the fragile soil is compacted and plants are trampled. “It’s hard to get vegetation to come back here once it’s gone,” Beltz said. “To get it to grow back, you have to do something active.”

The setup
Beltz has set up nine sites near the summit. Each site has three 1.2-meter-by-1.2-meter blocks divided into four plots. One of the plots is a control; the others get one of three treatments: 1) scarifying- the area, meaning the soil is broken up to a six-inch depth, then covered with jute matting; 2) covering the soil with two inches of compost and jute matting; 3) covering the soil only with jute matting.

Scarification breaks up the soil so that seeds can catch and roots grow. The manure and peat humus compost helps replace nutrients in the soil. Jute matting controls erosion and regulates the microclimate underneath. The matting has another function, too. “One of our biggest concerns is the plots being disturbed by people, so the mat gives it the appearance of something official going on,” Beltz said.

The result
This summer, Beltz will check the plots every few weeks. He’ll look for what vegetation, if any, is established. He’ll learn more about the restoration methods that work and don’t work. The research is in collaboration with AUNE’s Monadnock Ecological Research and Education (MERE) program and Monadnock State Park. Peter Palmiotto, professor of environmental studies and director of MERE, works closely with Beltz on the project.

Beltz’s thesis will concern what happens to his test plots in the first growing season. “The most important and telling data is what’s going on in September,” he said. ”We’ll see what comes back, if anything. It would be nice to see something this fall, but it doesn’t have to—there’s a distinct possibility that nothing will regrow. As they say, ‘No result is a result,’ but I’d still like to see some regrowth.”

About Antioch University New England (AUNE)
Antioch University New England offers highly respected doctoral, master’s and certificate programs in education, environmental studies, management and psychology. Located in Keene, New Hampshire, this unique institution serves a thousand students each year. Our graduates have gone on to be leaders of positive change, working toward a more just and sustainable society. Founded in 1964, Antioch University New England is the oldest of Antioch University’s graduate campuses. Learn more at: www.antiochne.edu

About Antioch University
Antioch University serves more than 4,000 adult students around the world and across the country, online and at its five campuses in four states. Each campus offers degree programs that meet—and often anticipate—the pressing needs of its region and the wider world. The University is also home to the landmark PhD in Leadership and Change; Antioch Education Abroad, an exceptional opportunity of immersive service and study programs; and WYSO, a leading public radio affiliate and an essential source of global news and opinion.

Antioch University is a nonprofit private 501(c) (3) organization and member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. For more information, visit www.antioch.edu.

Last Updated: 8/8/11