Fourteen Mile Creek Earth Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
"FOURTEEN MILE CREEK EARTH CACHE"
Fourteen Mile Creek Trail is a out-and-back trail that features bridges, educational kiosks and an outdoor learning center. Additional amenities include park benches, dog waste receptacles, trash cans, and emergency call boxes for citizen security.
A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique hydric soil. Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment, principally water purification, flood control, carbon sink and shoreline stability. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life.
Wetlands occur naturally on every continent except Antarctica, the largest includes the Amazon River basin, the West Siberian Plain, and the Pantanal in South America. The water found in wetlands can be freshwater, brackish, or saltwater.
Hydrology
Wetland hydrology is associated with the spatial and temporal dispersion, flow, and physio-chemical attributes of surface and ground water in its reservoirs. Based on hydrology, wetlands can be categorized as riverine (associated with streams), lacustrine (associated with lakes and reservoirs), and palustrine (isolated). Sources of hydrological flows into wetlands are predominantly precipitation, surface water, and groundwater. Water flows out of wetlands by evapotranspiration, surface runoff, and subsurface water outflow. Hydrodynamics (the movement of water through and from a wetland) affects hydro-periods (temporal fluctuations in water levels) by controlling the water balance and water storage within a wetland.
Landscape characteristics control wetland hydrology and hydrochemistry. The O2 and CO2 Concentrations of water depend on temperature and atmospheric pressure. Hydrochemistry within wetlands is determined by the pH, salinity, nutrients, conductivity, soil composition, hardness, and the sources of water. Water chemistry of wetlands varies across landscapes and climatic regions. Wetlands are generally minerotrophic with the exception of bogs.
Bogs receive their water from the atmosphere; therefore, their water has low mineral ionic composition. In contrast, groundwater has a higher concentration of dissolved nutrients and minerals.
The water chemistry of fens ranges from low pH and low minerals to alkaline with high accumulation of calcium and magnesium because they acquire their water from precipitation as well as ground water.
Soil
Carbon is the major nutrient cycled within wetlands. Most nutrients, such as sulfur, phosphorus, carbon, and nitrogen are found within the soil of wetlands. Anaerobic and aerobic respiration in the soil influences the nutrient cycling of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, and the solubility of phosphorus thus contributing to the chemical variations in its water. Wetlands with low pH and saline conductivity may reflect the presence of acid sulfates and wetlands with average salinity levels can be heavily influenced by calcium or magnesium. Biogeochemical processes in wetlands are determined by soils with low redox potential. Wetland soils are identified by redoxymorphic mottles or low chroma, as determined by the Munsell Color System.
Flora
There are four main groups of hydrophytes that are found in wetland systems throughout the world. Submerged wetland vegetation can grow in saline and fresh-water conditions. Some species have underwater flowers, while others have long stems to allow the flowers to reach the surface. Submerged species provide a food source for native fauna, habitat for invertebrates, and also possess filtration capabilities. Examples include seagrasses and eelgrass.
Floating water plants or floating vegetation is usually small, like arrow arum (Peltandra virginica). Forested wetlands are generally known as swamps. The upper level of these swamps is determined by high water levels, which are negatively affected by dams. Some swamps can be dominated by a single species, such as silver maple swamps around the Great Lakes. Others, like those of the Amazon basin, have large numbers of different tree species.
All wetland information comes from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetland
"Logging Requirements:"
1. At Stage 1 you will find a kiosk. There are 6 indicators of flooding or soil saturation, name 1.
2. After reading the hydrology section above, tell us if these wetlands are characterized as riverine, lacustrine, or palustrine.
3. At Stage 2 you will find a kiosk. How many types of soils can occur in wetlands?
4. At Stage 2 head to the water - what type of soil do you see present along the edge?
5. At Stage 3 you will find a kiosk. 4 types of vegetation are shown, name 2.
6. At Stage 4 you will see where the creek has eroded the bank. How many different prominent layers do you see and what is the estimated combined height? Do you see the soil from question 3 here at stage 4?
Please feel free to post pictures anywhere along the trial except at ground zero for any of the stages.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)