CONCLUSIONS

The University of Cincinnati Clermont College campus is currently in good condition.  Members of the community, faculty, and student have all helped in the clean-up and up-keep of the campus by pruning out the Amur Honeysuckle.  Amur Honeysuckle has no significant disease or pest problems. However, it will take over an area within a few years of initial seeding, by a combination of its rapid growth rate, arching growth habit, and ability to prolifically reseed itself nearby (Richard, Joseph, Joseph 1999). That is why the wooded areas on campus were having difficulty thriving, the honeysuckle was taking over. The only positive in terms of control is that its root system is shallow during the first several years of its life, so plants can literally be pulled up or dug out with relative ease, if caught early enough.  Now that the Honeysuckle is being controlled other plants are able to get the nutrients and sunlight needed.  The soil pH of the east side of South Maple Creek was around 6, which is perfect for plants, the soil also contained trace levels of nitrogen and phosphorous, but very high levels of potassium; the subjective analysis of the soil revealed that the sample was composed of about 40% clay.  In June 2005 the ecology students transplanted some small plants into the South Maple Creek area and they are flourishing in the new habitat.  With many different insects, birds, and some mammals, the area is and will continue to be a wonderful spot to study ecology.

The water test that was ran to determine the hardness of the water had interesting results.  The North Maple Creek has the most hard water.  The conclusion for that was because the water has to trickle through South Maple Creek first then further to reach the area that the sample was collected from.  As the water trickles over different rock it picks up various minerals which causes the water to be hard. The water in South Maple Creek hasn't traveled far and is unable to collect the minerals.