Streams in the Smoky Mountains (IMAGE)

U.S. National Science Foundation

Streams in the Smoky Mountains

Caption

Six universities will collaborate to explore the dynamics of intermittent streams, like this one in the Smoky Mountains, which make up 59 percent of all the stream length in the United States. The ecological significance of intermittent streams, which are controlled by large-scale climate fluctuations and colonized by aquatic life under wet conditions, will likely grow as the global environment changes and human demand for water increases. This team will engage citizen scientists with a smartphone app to help document flowing vs. dry periods, measure flows with multiple inexpensive remote sensors, and study affected food webs.

Credit

Meryl Mims, Virginia Tech

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