Meister 1 Ben Meister Balch, Section 2 November 20th, 2013 Research Summary Between three different areas in three

different parts of the world, ecosystems can vary in an seemingly infinite number of ways. But in three different parts of a county, just how much can an ecosystem vary? Between three different sites in the Centre County area, many similarities and differences can be seen. Walnut Springs Park is located South-East of downtown State College, and is at a lower elevation as well. The park contains a small stream running through, as well as a spring coming from the Bald Eagle Area. There is also a constructed wetland located in the park. Underneath the park, at the bedrock, lies the Bellefonte Formation. The Bellefonte Formation consists of dolomite, a rock that is slightly acidic when eroded, but erosion is not easily achieved. Atop the bedrock, two main types of soil are present. Directly surrounding the stream and constructed marsh is the Melvin Silt Loam soil type. This soil type is poorly drained and has a high water capacity. Typical of floodlands, this soil type is commonly present around marsh-like areas such as Walnut Springs Park. This also means that the area is subject to flooding, but it is not solely because of the soil type: Being in a small valley of sorts, the area containing the stream and marsh are at a lower elevation than its surrounding. That means that there is lots of runoff from the surrounding areas, not including the urban runoff received as part of a drainage system for the town of State College. The surrounding slopes are composed of the Opequon-Hagerstown complex soil type, that has characteristically a low water capacity and is easily drained. This means that while making the area even more so subject to flooding, the excess runoff carries vitamins and nutrients to the park area accounting for dense shrubs and moderate tree-canopy cover. The Boalsburg Military Museum is located south of State College, in Boalsburg. The area includes the museum, parking lot, and grassy field. Next to this area is an area of thick shrubs and moderately thick forest. Spring Creek also runs through this area, separating part of the grassy area from the thicker shrub and forest area. The grassy area is actually a floodplain, accounting for its flatness. The rock underneath is typical for that of a floodplain, as it is

Meister 2 sedimentary. The bedrock formation itself is the Axemann Formation, consisting of limestone. Along the creek, the Chagrin soil type can be found. This soil type is well drained and has a high water capacity, meaning that the stream can easily erode away the banks. The soil itself is also very dark colored, and including the runoff from the creek and the limestone bedrock, the soil here is extremely fertile. Outside of the grassland, this accounts for the dense shrubs, forbs and trees that are found in the surrounding area. The easily erodible limestone bedrock, high water capacity soil, and nearby stream leading into the floodplain also all account for a developing sinkhole in the area. A sinkhole or any other disturbances aside, the area could be expected to subside to much more canopy cover, trees, and shrubs. Jo Hays Vista is located along the Tussey Mountain Ridge near Ferguson Township, South-West of State College. The ridge was created by the pushing of tectonic plates against each other, causing them to buckle and fold. The exposed bedrock atop this ridge is the Juniata Formation, consisting of sandstone. Along the side of the ridge, exposed is shale. Both sandstone and shale are not easily eroded nor fertile, with sandstone being the extreme of the two. Hazleton extremely stony sandy loam (HSD) is the soil type present atop the ridge. HSD is well drained and has a low water capacity. Hazleton-Dekalb association (HTF) is the soil type present along the side of the ridge. This soil type is typical of very steep areas, and therefore is well drained and has a low water capacity. Because of the bedrock and soil types, the ground is relatively infertile. This means that shrubs and forbs are extremely sparse. The lack of vegetation can also be accounted to the water runoff that occurs from atop the ridge to down into the valley, because the rain can carry any or all of the vitamins and nutrients away from the ridge and down into the valley. Three different areas, three different ecosystems. Some have similar traits, others different, but they all make up a unique area that is caused by their surrounding natural factors. Whether it be the soil, bedrock, plate movement, or water supply affecting the areas, they all have factors that uniquely affect the particular characteristics of each site. Works Cited

"PA DCNR Map Viewer." PA DCNR Map Viewer. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

"Web Soil Survey." Map. Web Soil Survey. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, n.d.

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Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

"Welcome to the USGS - U.S. Geological Survey." U.S. Geological Survey. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.

United States Government. "Hamilton County, TN." Soil Survey Series 1937, Vol. 22. N.p.: n.p., 1947. 60. Print.