While I don't have the particular details of this study (no study plan readily available), my interest is mainly about the data being collected specifically for the AT. This is primarily a change detection study and collecting data like that for the AT is really very important and relevant to protecting the trail. Climate change is just one aspect of the study and there are several considerable other applications that this data can and will be used for.

There's a name or two I recognized in the contributors section on the transect study that I know are trail friendly people--Jeff Marion and Dave Fields.