Proctor's Kidney (The Pond)

Eric Bonewald

Group 2: Will and James

General Purpose:

It it our job to hold its beauty

The Campus Pond Assessment is one that if performed yearly by the AP Environmental Science classes to determine the water quality and the health of the our campus pond. We all know the pond is there, but do we really know why and how important it is? The pond is the center of the campus watershed, and our main ecosystem. The pond is the holding site for drainage that comes all throughout campuses storm drains and off of the beloved turf fields, before it is funneled out onto the journey to a larger watershed, the Blackwater river. It is our job to sample and test this water before it can potentially become a future problem on campus 

or downstream.

Materials:

• Net (2)
• Sampling bucket
• Small container for Macro-invertebrates
• Magnifying glass
• Spork (2)
• Eye dropper
• Macroinvertebrates ID sheet
• Pond life book
• Camera phone for pictures and notes
• Beaufort scale (Wind speeds)
• Thermometer
• Mechanical Abiotic tests (dissolved oxygen)
• Chemical Abiotic tests (pH, phosphate, turbidity)

Sampling for macro-invertebrates

Methods:

One of the major methods we used for sampling of Biotic and Abiotic life in the pond was splitting up into six groups. The first 5 groups were spread out around the pond and group six was located near the maintenance shed as shown. To keep a consistent measurement on all of the components of the assessment we stayed in the same groups and located ourselves in the same spot every day to eliminate as many human errors as possible. We started a day of sampling with observations such as wind, time of day and weather. Next we sampled the Abiotics (dissolved oxygen, pH, phosphate, turbidity and temperature) so that we could get accurate readings on our tests before the water became stirred up from the biotic and macroinvertebrate sampling. The final sampling method was the technique used to sample the pond life with the nets. By taking multiple strokes with the net just slightly grazing the bottom, we had accurate measurements of the life in that part of the pond after sorting through and looking for creatures in the white sampling bucket. (This step was to be repeated as many times as possible.)

This picture relates each site to the methods we used and the general narrative

General Narrative:

Site 2 nestled in the trees

Will, James and I constructed site 2. Every day we would meet at our site that was hidden in the trees of the northwest corner of the pond where the turfs drainage flows into the pond. This spot was where the testing happened, both biotic and abiotic. We started a day of sampling with observations such as wind, time of day and weather. Next we sampled the abiotic (dissolved oxygen, pH, phosphate, turbidity and temperature) so that we could get accurate readings on our tests before the water became stirred up from the biotic and macroinvertebrate sampling. With every day we were able to learn more about sampling and how the weather patterns affect the abiotic variables. I can honestly say I have a greater understanding of the changes our pond goes through in the matter of hours sometimes. These weather patterns were taken down with the abiotic data from site 2.

Data tables:

The abiotic data is listed below. 

10/22/15

10/23/15

10/26/15

The biotic life data is listed below.

Class data

Analysis:

Throughout the last week the data that had 
been collected has been reliable and true.

The abiotic data has had little change throughout the testing periods while the biotic data and macro-invertebrate numbers had fluctuated by the variables we could not necessarily control, such as weather, wind and time of day. Even these small weather patterns make a huge difference in what types of critters come out to play for the day. We had been seeing a slowly decreasing diversity index but if I am not mistaken this year it has started to rise again. The lowest year for the diversity index that I have a good consensus on was 2012 with an index of around 4. This was because of the construction taking place not far from the pond, the new synthetic turf fields. (picture on the right taken by Proctor Academy athletics) The diversity index had been slowly decreasing year to year but this year it has taken a turn. The pond still isn't in a place where it has in the past but it is in good shape. I know as scientists we never want to say it, but human error can always be a factor wether it be adding the numbers or sampling. The diversityindex could bee slightly off for this year because maybewe did not get an an accurate read on the pond life, or maybe the multiple hard frosts that we had in the middle of October started to shut things down in the ponds ecosystem and greeting ready for the hard, long and cold New England winters.

As we do not need to necessarily worry about the ponds health we should keep and eye out and maintain sampling and testing to see when things change so that we as the Proctor community can change and help out.

And of course, the pond is healthy enough to freeze and skate on this winter.

Conclusion:

By spending the time in the field and crunching the numbers we have concluded that the Proctor pond is healthy. We know this from the days of both biotic and abiotic sampling. Even though the diversity of the pond is decreasing it doesn't mean that the pond is necessarily unhealthy, is just means that over time it has been becoming less healthy. By analyzing the numbers and data from previous years we can see how different surrounding environment (like the construction of the turf in 2012 and the diversity index plummeted) and weather show a major factor in the ponds day to day health or its health in the long run.

I do believe this was a beneficial week of class because we can all relate to the pond being a center point of our campus. Even if you don't pay attention to it and can't see the real beauty while you walk to class, it doesn't mean we don't affect it by what we do or what the weather does but we should care about its health. We should care because of whatever happens to the pond, it shows us on a small scale what can happen over time and who knows, maybe a small community pond could be foreshadowing for a larger scale (global) problem to come.

For this year the pond stays healthy!

All pictures by Eric Bonewald
Turf picture by Proctor Academy Athletics