The Bluff contained several environments including ponds, wet shores, moist forest, and xeric or dry forest floor. The plants observed were as varied as these environments. The forest contained the Shasta red fir, mountain hemlock, and lodgepole pine, western white pine, and subalpine fir. In the pond area aquatic plants included western quillwort, small burweed, water sedge, and narrow-spiked reedgrass. Further from the ponds the more xeric plants were documented and included whortleberry, pinemat manzainta, and sulfur flower.
Finally, the authors of this report have each suggested that these ponds are each very unique and exhibit great changes in water quality and plant and animal diversity through the seasons. It would be difficult to establish trends and relationships given this limited data set. However, it would be very interesting to begin a study of the ponds at snow melt and continue through the entire summer season to the snows of winter the following winter in any of these areas. Actually the pond study could continue through winter with sampling continuing using snow boring equipment. The results of this type of study would lead to a wealth of information documenting the health and quality of these shallow water bodies.
The significance of this single study has been to document the chemical, physical, and biological conditions of the Whitehorse Ponds area through a single short summer season. By continuing this study, the National Park Service at Crater Lake can make a significant contribution to our understanding of three major environmental concerns:
1. How is the airshed affecting the water shed on Whitehorse Bluff? Is the Cascades themselves changing in water quality?
2. Before chemical analyses can identify without doubt a change in water quality, the plants and animals living in a around a water body have changed noticeably. By continuing to monitor the biota associated with these ponds the NPS may detect early warnings of a change in Southern Oregon waters.
3. Finally, this initial survey could have been directed in several directions. Here the physical, chemical, and biological areas of study were used to document pond conditions. Future work should include a survey of the bryophytes and the amphibians associated with each pond. It has been suggested an increase in UV radiation may be causing a drastic decrease in amphibians ( , 1994). A herpetological survey in the future would document the present condition of these indicator species.
If the NPS and the CRLA-NHA can continue this and similar water quality studies in and around the Park, there will be a great resource of information documenting water quality, population characteristics of phytoplankton and zooplankton, plants, and animals of wetland and pond areas. Returning to the ponds in the future would further document changes in the ponds due to changes in precipitation and its effect on this small watershed. These studies will eventually become a very significant resource documenting major trends in aquatic ecosystems in the Southern Oregon region.
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