FARMINGTON — Western Maine Audubon is set to present its third and final autumn talk at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, in Thomas Auditorium in University of Maine Farmington’s Preble Hall, 173 High St.

The free talk, “Mountain Lakes as Sentinels of Change in the Northeast,” will be presented by Rachel Hovel and Julia Daly.

High-elevation lakes in the northern Appalachian Mountains are unique in several regards: they exist in a more forested landscape than alpine lakes in other mountain ranges, and they experience fewer direct anthropogenic impacts and colder climatic zones compared to lower-elevation lakes in the northeast.

Due to their remote nature, these lakes can help illuminate regional signals in changing climate and atmospheric deposition, and their elevation and size can contribute diversity in lake characteristics across the landscape.

In this talk, Hovel and Daly will share background on a research program on nine lakes in the western Maine mountains, present long-term trends in water chemistry, and explore interactions between water chemistry, temperature and biological response. As these lakes recover from the impacts of atmospheric deposition of pollutants (acid rain), new climate conditions are shaping seasonality and productivity.

Their talk will also focus on the recreational attributes of these lakes and share opportunities for community science involvement.

For more information visit mainemountainponds.wordpress.com.

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