16-8 Using Diatoms to Infer Paleoenvironmental Conditions in a Connecticut Vernal Pool

Session: From Thin Section to Outcrop: Exploration of Undergraduate Research (Posters)

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Vernal pools are ecologically significant features that are abundant in previously glaciated landscapes and strongly influenced by geomorphological processes. Due to their ephemeral nature, the long-term environmental history of vernal pools is often poorly understood and difficult to reconstruct. In this study, sediment cores were taken from a vernal pool in Simsbury (CT) adjacent to the Talcott Mountain/ Metacomet Ridge to examine patterns of diatom assemblages preserved within sediments.  Diatoms are a diverse group of microscopic algae that inhabit a wide range of environments and are a valuable tool for inferring paleoenvironmental conditions because they are sensitive to physical, chemical, and hydrological change.  Diatoms in sediment cores are identified through analysis of distinctive patterns on their silica cell walls.  Samples from the core were prepped and diatoms were identified at the genus and species level since individual taxa are adapted to specific habitats and environmental gradients. Preliminary results indicate that diatom assemblages change throughout the 260 cm long core, indicating changes in environmental conditions, including shifts in hydrology and fluctuations in nutrient availability and water chemistry. These changes likely reflect broader geomorphological and landscape-level processes influencing the vernal pool over time. When paired with geomorphological analyses, diatom-based reconstructions provide an effective approach for interpreting landscape history and understanding long-term ecological and geomorphological dynamics in ephemeral aquatic systems.

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