Cranberry Bog Restoration Effectiveness Research

Presenter

Adam Curtis Misiaszek

Group Members

Mary Catherine Howley, Emilee Shakespeare, Nicholas Paiva

Campus

Bridgewater State University

Sponsor

Thilina Dilan Surasinghe, Department of Biology, Bridgewater State University

Schedule

Session 3, 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A1, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 1 (A1-A20) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Adam Misiaszek

Mary Howley

Nick Paiva

Emilee Shakespeare

Cranberry bogs have been a cultivation staple in Massachusetts for a long time. While it holds various economic benefits, it also imposes harm to our wetland ecosystems. Wetlands are a critical resource in climate mitigation, flood regulation, and a crucial habitat for various reptiles and amphibians. Our small team and I have questioned if restoration of these cranberry bogs is effective and if doing so holds any benefit in supporting the wetland ecosystem. With this question in mind, we have devised a project to be able to test this. The goal of our project is to collect a general assessment of total counts of reptiles and amphibians, along with a study of amphibian reproductive efforts. This study will be conducted in cranberry bogs of different restoration intervals. Including an older restored bog, a more recently restored bog, and an active bog. Our project also aims to collect this data to determine how effective restoring cranberry bogs can be. We will use various methods for this project including the use of coverboards, automated recordings, egg-mass counts, leaf-litter bags, PVC pipes, and aquatic funnel traps. These methods will ensure proper data collection where necessary, as we will be studying a variety of reptiles and amphibians. Our findings and results will provide critical data and the proper insight needed to understand how effective restoring cranberry bogs can be to support our local wildlife and ecosystems.

Keywords

Ecology, Restoration, Reptiles, Amphibians, Conservation

Research Area

Environment Effects on Ecosystems

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