SEDIMENT ACCUMULATION AND SPECIES ANALYSIS OF ASBURY WOODS VERNAL POOLS

Vernal pools located at Asbury Woods in Erie, PA are being studied to determine the origin and ecology of these features. Vernal pools are temporary pools that form in shallow basins that fill in the early spring and after heavy rain. These pools are important because they are home to aquatic ecosystems that are rare in the local topography. Five vernal pools have been characterized. They range in size from 222 square meters to 8,692 square meters. Erie has Devonian bedrock overlain with till and moraine deposits. The topography formed from the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum. Vernal pools in Pennsylvania are reported to have formed from glaciation but formation of the pools in Asbury Woods is still being investigated. Lead-210(Pb-210) and Cesium-137(Cs-137) will be used to examine the rate of sedimentation accumulation within the vernal pools. Species analysis of location and population statistics is also being examined using survey information and Arc GIS.