Keywords: u. s. fish and wildlife service usfishandwildlifeservice spruce fir moss spider mount mitchell state park asheville field office ashevillefieldoffice outdoor The Southern Appalachians are home to the highest peaks in the eastern United States, peaks that are home to the endangered spruce-fir moss spider, a spider which only lives in moss mats growing beneath the canopy of spruce-fir forests. The long-term well-being of this habitat is in question, as climate change threatens to disrupt the temperature and humidity levels needed by the spider. In order to gain a clearer picture of climate changes at these high-elevation areas, the Service has deployed a string of data loggers which record humidity and temperature every 15 minutes around the clock. Every few months, biologists download data from the loggers so it can be analyzed and searched for any trends. These images were taken during a visit to download data at Mount Mitchell State Park. Credit: Gary Peeples The Southern Appalachians are home to the highest peaks in the eastern United States, peaks that are home to the endangered spruce-fir moss spider, a spider which only lives in moss mats growing beneath the canopy of spruce-fir forests. The long-term well-being of this habitat is in question, as climate change threatens to disrupt the temperature and humidity levels needed by the spider. In order to gain a clearer picture of climate changes at these high-elevation areas, the Service has deployed a string of data loggers which record humidity and temperature every 15 minutes around the clock. Every few months, biologists download data from the loggers so it can be analyzed and searched for any trends. These images were taken during a visit to download data at Mount Mitchell State Park. Credit: Gary Peeples |