Ohio Invasive Plants/Soil Observation EarthCache

This cache has been archived.

MissMcCulloch: This Geocache was created as an extra credit opportunity for middle school students and their families to explore Buck Creek State Park. I no longer teach in this area and cannot verify the cache's description and accuracy.

I am grateful for having been able to teach so many people over the years about controlled burning, invasive plant mitigation, and soil characteristics. Stay curious and keep cache-ing!

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Hidden : 3/31/2013
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Observe soil health and composition in three different environments at Buck Creek State Park: forest, prairie, and marine.

South Vienna Middle School Students may log this cache by either answering the log questions below or by filling out the Earthcache Extra Credit form in Miss McCulloch's room.

Background:
Buck Creek State Park, in Springfield, Ohio, was once home to Native Americans and pioneers. At the time of settlement, this area was mostly covered in forests and prairies. Since that time, the city of Springfield was founded, U.S. 40 opened up the area to commercial trade, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used the area as a flood control project; this created the Clarence J. Brown Dam and Reservoir. In 1974, Buck Creek State Park was given to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and officially opened in 1975 (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, n.d.). Most of the park’s recreational facilities surround the use of the large 2,120 acre Clarence J. Brown Reservoir (Buck Creek State Park, n.d.).

Carved by glaciers over 12,000 years ago, Buck Creek State Park showcases many different types of natural features. Glacial deposits in this region are coarser than other areas in Ohio so well drained soils, such as the Miamian soil, are more common (Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Soil and Water Resources, n.d.) Low hills, called moraines, remain in areas where the glaciers deposited sediments and many springs have since then formed through the minerals. In fact, there are so many springs that the nearby city of Springfield was named for them. The water from these springs have contributed to the many bogs and wet areas in Clark county; each of these areas harboring a great variety of plants (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, n.d.). The bedrock in this area is commonly made of limestone, dolomite, or shale, so the soil tends to have a higher lime content. Over time, soils naturally become more acidic but the soil in this region is neutral or only slightly acidic because of the lime that occurs there. Most plant nutrients are chemically active under neutral or slightly acidic conditions, so these types of soil are more fertile for plant growth and crop production (Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Soil and Water Resources, n.d.). Due to great variety of plant and wildlife, the Corps of Engineers continues to conduct natural resource management programs in this park to preserve natural areas for human and wildlife use (Buck Creek State Park, n.d.).

One interesting phenomena that also affects the soil in Buck Creek State Park did not come from glaciers thousands of years ago, but from some of the plants that grow there today. This phenomenon is known as allelopathy. According to Frank Einhelling (2001), allleopathy is when plants, algae, fungi, or microorganisms (living things too small to see) create some sort of chemical that prohibits other plants or microorganisms from growing or living in that spot. You can tell if you are looking at an example of allelopathy when you observe that some plants do not grow well near other types of plants. In this EarthCache, you will see an example of allelopathy between a Black Walnut tree and the surrounding honeysuckle.

How to access this EarthCache:
As you enter Buck Creek State Park, please continue straight and park in the Boat Ramp parking lot. Head East towards the prairies. You will have to cross over the road so have a parent guide you across. Once you enter the prairie, look to your left back towards the parking lot. You will find a patch of honeysuckle, non-native, upright, deciduous shrubs that grows to be 6-15 feet tall!

Honeysuckle description: opposite branches and opposite buds, early to bud, last to shed, long growing season, berries are nutrition poor. Amur honeysuckle has dark green leaves that end in a sharp point at the tip and the underside of the leaves have hair along the veins. Morrow and Tatarian both have oval, egg-shaped leaves. Amur and Morrow both have white, paired flowers that turn yellow with age while the Tartarian is pale pink. The fruits are yellow to dark-red berries.

Distribution: honeysuckles are native to China, Korea, and Japan. Introduced into the United States in 1846 as ornamental plants, they have escaped cultivation due to high seed production and to the fact their seeds are readily eaten and dispersed by birds. These honeysuckles are distributed throughout Ohio (Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 2000).

Continue looking in this path along the left side of the prairie. You will come across a large Black Walnut tree, native to Ohio. Notice that this walnut exists in the middle of a honeysuckle patch, yet no honeysuckle grow around it very closely. This is because the Black Walnut releases chemicals in to the soil preventing other plants from growing in that spot. Take some time digging around the soil to make observations. Observe the soil's color, texture (pinch between first finger and thumb or roll on palms), composition (observe soil particle sizes), and odor. Be sure to record your observations.

Once finished with the honeysuckle patch, turn East towards the prairie. This prairie has undergone controlled burning and will look much different from the deciduous forest surrounding it. As you make soil observations here, try to search for signs of past burnings: ash or burnt plant matter. Make the same soil observations: color, texture, composition, and odor. Be sure to record your observations.

When you head back to the parking lot, take a few moments to also observe the soil around the Clarence J. Brown Reservoir. Be sure to record your observations. Compare the environments you observed today: forest, prairie, and marine.

Resources:
Buck Creek State Park. (n.d.) Retrieved from (visit link)
Einhellig, F. (2001). Allelopathy. Plant Sciences. Retrieved from (visit link)
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. (n.d.) Buck Creek State Park. Retrieved from (visit link)
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. (2000). Invasive Plants of Ohio: A series of fact sheets describing the most invasive plants in Ohio's natural areas. Funding provided by an Ohio EPA Environmental Education Grant.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Soil and Water Resources. (n.d.) Soil Regions. Retrieved from (visit link)

EarthCache Task:
To log this EarthCache: Email the answers to the following questions to me (click my username up top, send message).

1. Describe the soils at each location: forest, prairies, and marine. What color was each sample? What odors, if any, did you observe? Did any of the soils have a sandy texture? If so, which one(s)? Did any of the soils feel sticky or wet? If so, which one(s)?

2. Why do you think people use controlled burning in prairies? What is one objective for doing so?

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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