The limnology of a campus pond.

Abstract

Samples of benthic and zooplankton fauna were taken, and physicochemical measurements were made on the Allen County Community Junior College Campus Pond once a month from September, 1975, through May, 1976, and twice a month from June, 1976, through August, 1976. A total of 12,992 benthic individuals represented by 33 taxa was collected. Seventy % of the individuals were phantom midge larvae, Chaoborus puntipennis. The C1adocerans and Copepods dominated the collections of zoop1ankters and a mean annual community diversity (d) was 1.83, indicating the pond was moderately stressed. A significant difference was found to exist between community diversities at the one meter and two meter depths. Temperature ranged from 5 C in January, 1976, to 27 C in July, 1976. The pond never stratified. The mean annual dissolved oxygen concentration was 6.5 ppm. A significant difference between the dissolved oxygen concentrations at the surface and the bottom was found. The mean annual nitrate concentration was 13.69 and the mean annual phosphate concentration was .45 ppm. The pond was relatively transparent and low in turbidity. Nitrite and ammonia were found in low concentrations in the pond and the pond was slightly alkaline with a mean annual pH of 8.2.