“A Comparative Analysis on the Activity of Amphibians in Vernal Pools on Honey Pot Road”

​This project focuses on the analysis of the activity of amphibians in two vernal pools that are located off of Honey Pot Road in Westfield, Massachusetts. The first of these vernal pools is adjacent to the road which will represent the pool that is influenced by human activity. The other pool is located about 200 meters off the road in the woods of the Westfield Wildlife Management area and is isolated from human activity. My question is: Does an isolated vernal pool have more amphibian egg masses than a vernal pool that suffers from human impact? Humans can have a significant impact on ecological processes, both directly through things like road mortality and indirect in terms of adding nutrients, for example. I am analyzing the two pools to determine if the impact of humans has an effect on the activity. I will measure variables such as, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, pool substrate, and egg mass count to understand how the pools differ in terms of amphibian activity.