Acer Climate and Socio-Ecological Research Network (ACERnet) is an international group of scientists dedicated to advancing our understanding of sugar maple ecology and management of maple species in a changing climate. Our research team is monitoring sugar maple sap flow at sites across sugar maple’s range – from Virginia to Quebec – to understand how climate effects sap flow, sugar content, and chemical composition. These aspects of sap quality together influence the quality and quantity of syrup produced.
ACERnet was recently awarded a grant from the Northeast Climate Science Center (NE CSC) to study how climate change will affect the culture of maple sugaring in the northeastern and midwestern U.S. This grant will support two-years of sap data collection at our study sites, the development and deployment of surveys to gauge maple syrup producer perception and adaptations to climate change, and outreach activities to share knowledge of climate impacts on maple to resource managers and syrup producers throughout the region.