Dighton, JohnTuininga, AmyJonsson, LenaGray, DennisBelton, Thomas2021-03-022021-03-022003-11https://hdl.handle.net/10929/69833The project scope was conceptualized at an inter-programmatic meeting within the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection including representation by the Divisions of Science Research and Technology, Forestry, Air, Watershed Management and Endangered Species. A consensus was reached that a suite of bioindicators would prove critical in satisfying State management goals to enhance air and water quality; to restore ecosystems, sustain land and natural resource communities; as well as to preserve biodiversity in the state. The immediate goal was to establish unique baseline terrestrial communities of known structure in the Pinelands Ecoregion of New Jersey, then to evaluate the influence of potential environment stressors. Of particular interest were air deposited nitrogen and its measurable biological effects on forest ecosystems for long term trends-assessment. Methods are needed to benchmark nitrogen status in the Pinelands, and other air sheds in New Jersey, to track deposition trends and effects over time; that is, to develop a means to measure Nitrogen dry deposition effects (i.e., using bioindicators such as mycorrhizal fungi). Changes in macro-fungal species composition and abundance have been used in other parts of the world as biological indicators for terrestrial wooded ecosystems.en-USAtmospheric nitrogen compounds - Environmental aspects - New Jersey - Pine BarrensAtmospheric deposition - Environmental aspects - New Jersey - Pine BarrensNew Jersey - Pine BarrensTechnical Report