History of Place:
This week I investigated the human and geological history of my phenology site and discovered in the 1890s it was part of the Hickok Estate and most likely experienced agricultural use (Geosprocket LLC, n/d). When looking at an aerial photograph taken in 1937, it can be seen that the area along and beside Centennial Brook was a field (Geosprocket LLC, n/d). This explains the relative youth of the forest along the wetlands since Eastern White Pine is one of the earlier species to move into early forests, which most likely consisted of Paper Birch. Since Centennial Woods is now owned by the University of Vermont, I wonder if any of the stands in the forest were planted or to what extent human activity influenced this ecosystem. Many of the fallen logs on my site appear to have been cut down and a hiking path runs through the edge, so some of our recent impacts are visible.
The geology of this place is interesting, as well. The bedrock consists of quartz and the surficial geology consists of pebbly marine sand from deposits of Champlain Sea (Geosprocket LLC, n/d). The soil type is very fine and sandy, which is due to the stream and wetlands (Geosprocket LLC, n/d).
A Bit of Snow:
Due to rain over the past few days and heavy human foot traffic, I wasn’t about to find any animal tracks on this visit. Still, I am hopeful for what I will find during my visits next semester.
An Unfortunate Sight:
When walking along the stream, I noticed a rainbow tint to a collection of bubbles, which means pollution of some kind entered the water, demonstrating another human impact on Centennial Woods. Luckily, it was only this small patch of foam which appeared to be impacted, since the other groups were white and clear.
Breaking Down:
The beauty of wood can be seen when dead trees or branches begin to break down. The weathering and decomposition being done by fungi and bacteria result in beautiful color combinations, which make it easier to celebrate all aspects of the cycle of life.
References:
Geosprocket LLC. (n/d). Maps of the Burlington Vt Region. Burlington Geographic. Retrieved from http://www.uvm.edu/place/burlingtongeographic/maps/index.php