Summary

Even though more evidence if needed to conclude that construction effects the surrouding ecosystem along with the overall ecosystem itself, the evidence that has been presented is a pretty good indication that it does.

Such evidence as the pH levels of the soil samples exemplifies a change due to the construction. The normal pH level of the soil in the West Woods and Maple Creek are from 6.0 to 7.0 and the soil now existing is 5.0 in West Woods and Maple Creek at 7.0.

The flora and fauna surveys showed a decrease in the number of living organisms in the areas when compared to the studies of past years. Even the surviving flora showed to be mostly grasses and small herbaceous plants, grasses being 322.00 to chickweed at 16.00 compared to that of mature trees such as Maples,6, Hickory, 5, Wild Cherry, 5, and Paw Paw tree, 4.

Since the West Woods has been stripped of the majority of its woods, its ecosystem has undergone a major change. What once was a heavy wooded area is now an open grassland. The remaining area contains fairly large Maples, Hickory, and Wild Cherry for the most part shows this area to have been a mature forest.

The environmental factors recorded showed that the area in the woods, had higher ground temperature compared to that of the new ponds ground temperature.

The aquatic life has a large amount to be improved upon. According to our calculations only approximately 15-8 aquatic animals are present in Maple Creek and in the new pond area. Which shows that the life in these areas as very slim due to the construction.

Overall, when reviewing our data is was shown that there is a considerable amount of lost. From animals to plants, they all have been effected just so our school could expand and collect more money.

Even though more evidence is needed to conclude that construction effects surrounding ecosystems along with that site's ecosystem itself, the evidence that has been presented is a pretty good indication that it does. Such evidence as the pH levels of the soils exemplifies a change due to construction. The normal pH level of the soil in the West Woods and Maple Creek are 6.0 to 7.0. The pH level in West Woods of 5.0 has shown to have become very acidic, but Maple creek on the other hand has stayed in the range with a pH level of 7.0.

The flora and fauna serveys showed a decrease in the growth of mature tree approximately 4-6 trees compared to the grasses of 322.00. As the data shows that trees have survived but on the other hand weeds have taken over.

Since the West Woods has been stripped of the vast majority of its woods, it ecosystem has undergone a major change. The remaining woods mainly consists of large Maples tree due to undisturbed growth and Ash trees. This data showed that the trees that have grown to be almost 3' in diameter on an average could have only reached this point without any interuption. This forest has become a large ecosystem for many mature trees and organisms.

The environmental factors have also been altered by an increased temperature in the West Woods compared to the readings taken in the new Wetland area which showed that the ground temperature showed to be much lower in the new wetland area, 15° C compared to that in the West Woods of 20.9° C. All other environmental factors showed to be somewhat of the same being higher in the Mature woods instead of the new wetlands.

Most of the data collected and compared has shown that the ecosystems in and around the construction site have been drastically changed, in some cases almost destroyed. Now, the area seems to be in a rebuilding stage, but the question to be asked is, will it ever be the same? More data and comparisons will be needed in the future to see how the New Wetlands have established it new ecosystem compared to the already established and mature ecosystem of what is left of West Woods.