Green Bottom Wetlands EarthCache

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Hidden : 7/9/2008
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

The area is the Green Bottom WMA. It is easily accessible off of
Rt. 2 16 miles outside of Huntington. The terrain is basically flat
and the parking is near the boardwalk used to visit the
cache.

Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area Wetlands The Green Bottom WMA is located 16 miles north of Huntington. The majority of the property is between Route 2 and the Ohio River in Cabell and Mason counties. Another 67 acres is located south of Route 2. You are about to enter the world of a wetland, to better understand the area visit (visit link) for more
information and help with answers to questions.

Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season. Water saturation (hydrology) largely determines how the soil develops and the types of plant and animal communities living in and on the soil.

Wetlands may support both aquatic and terrestrial species. The prolonged presence of water creates conditions that favor the growth of specially adapted plants (hydrophytes) and promote the development of characteristic wetland (hydric) soils. Wetlands vary widely because of regional and local differences in soils, topography, climate, hydrology, water chemistry, vegetation, and other factors,
including human disturbance. Indeed, wetlands are found from the tundra to the tropics and on every continent except Antarctica. Two general categories of wetlands are recognized: coastal or tidal wetlands and inland or non-tidal wetlands. Inland wetlands are most common on floodplains along rivers and streams (riparian wetlands),
in isolated depressions surrounded by dry land (for example, playas, basins, and "potholes"), along the margins of lakes and ponds, and in other low-lying areas where the groundwater intercepts the soil surface or where precipitation sufficiently saturates the soil (vernal pools and bogs). Inland wetlands include marshes and wet meadows dominated by herbaceous plants, swamps dominated by shrubs, and wooded swamps dominated by trees.
Certain types of inland wetlands are common to particular regions of the country:

• bogs and fens of the northeastern and north-central
states and Alaska
• wet meadows or wet prairies in the Midwest
• inland saline and alkaline marshes and riparian wetlands of the arid and semiarid west
• prairie potholes of Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas
• alpine meadows of the west
• playa lakes of the southwest and Great Plains
• bottomland hardwood swamps of the south
• pocosins and Carolina Bays of the southeast coastal states
• tundra wetlands of Alaska.

Many of these wetlands are seasonal (they are dry one or more seasons every year), and, particularly in the arid and semiarid West, may be wet only periodically. The quantity of water present and the timing of its presence in part determine the functions of a wetland and its role in the environment. Even wetlands that appear dry at times for significant parts of the year -- such as vernal pools--often provide critical habitat for wildlife adapted to breeding exclusively in these areas.

Definitions: organized into four general categories: marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens. MARSHES are periodically
saturated, flooded, or ponded with water and characterized by herbaceous (non-woody) vegetation adapted to wet soil conditions. Marshes are further characterized as tidal marshes and non-tidal marshes. organized into four general categories: marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens. ??Freshwater marshes are characterized by periodic or permanent shallow water, little or no peat deposition, and mineral soils. They typically derive most of their water from surface waters, including floodwater and runoff, but do receive
ground water inputs. ??Emergent Marshes soft-stemmed, emergent herbaceous plants less than 5 feet tall typically dominate this plant community. Water levels may fluctuate from a few inches to 3 feet during the year ??Wet meadows commonly occur in poorly drained areas such as shallow lake basins, low-lying depressions, and the land between shallow marshes and upland areas. Precipitation serves
as their primary water supply, so they are often dry in the summer. ??Wet prairies are similar to wet meadows but remain saturated longer. Wet prairies may receive water from intermittent streams as well as ground water and precipitation. ??Prairie potholes develop when snowmelt and rain fill the pockmarks left on the landscape by
glaciers. Ground water input is also important. SWAMPS are fed primarily by surface water inputs and are dominated by trees and shrubs. Swamps occur in either freshwater or saltwater floodplains. They are characterized by very wet soils during the growing season and standing water during certain times of the year. Well-known swamps include Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp and Virginia’s Great Dismal Swamp. Swamps are classified as forested, shrub, or mangrove. Forested swamps are found in broad flood plains of the northeast, southeast, and south-central United States and receive floodwater from nearby rivers and streams. Common deciduous trees found in these areas include bald cypress, water tupelo, swamp white oak, and red maple. Shrub swamps are similar to forested swamps except that shrubby species like buttonbush and swamp rose dominate. BOGS are freshwater wetlands characterized by spongy peat deposits, a growth of evergreen trees and shrubs, and a floor covered by a thick carpet of sphagnum moss. These systems, whose only water source is rainwater, are usually found in glaciated areas of the northern FENS are ground water-fed peat forming wetlands covered by grasses, sedges, reeds, and wildflowers. Willow and birch are also common. Fens, like bogs, tend to occur in aciated areas of the northern United States. Now the journey begins! As you enter the area, it would be helpful but not necessary to obtain a map from the information station. It will give you some aid in some later questions. There are four types of wetlands

1 Which one is located at the observation tower?
a. marsh b. swamp c. bog d. fen

2. Where does the wetland get its water?
a.creek b. flooding c. rainwater d. underground e. all of these f.none of these.

3. Was this wetland the result of glacial activity
or hydrological forces.

4. Estimate the distance from the
observation tower across the wetlands.
a. 100 yards b. .25 of a mile c. .50 of a mile
How could you prove the estimate using your GPSr.

5. TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOU AND YOUR GPSr NEXT TO THE
OBSERVATION TOWER.

To claim this cache, send me an email with the answers to the 4 questions and post your image on the log entry. Do
not include your answers in the post. Enjoy the cache and the learning experience.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

[Check for a map of the area in the boxes or check the kiosk and be sure to read the information in the post.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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