By Alexander Ameika
On the Map
The interaction I’ve chosen is at Mason pond, located between lot K and the arts building on this map.
Interaction
The interaction I’ve chosen to focus on at this location is run off. There are multiple small streams on campus and areas of lower land which lead to mason pond. When it rains all oil from cars, waste, and pollutants from landscaping end up in mason pond.
Resource Characteristics
This is less of a resource since it is a retention pond, but it is a freshwater pond with life in it nonetheless. There are primary streams which lead into the mason pond and it is very shallow. These streams carry fresh water from higher ground on campus to the pond. The pond also hosts freshwater submerged aquatic vegetation, small species of fish (like sunfish), and birds (like geese). The main aspects of the environment involved here are aquatic life and the water cycle.
Governance/User Characteristics
Because the mason pond serves as a retention pond, it is unlikely there is any governance over the pond. The streams that lead into It, however, are more likely to be governed by a body like the EPA. It is not clear if these streams are manmade, natural, or a combination of the two so it is not clear if they are governed. The university is certainly involved in the upkeep of this resource, but it is not clear how they are involved beyond landscaping. However, the users do have a large impact on the water that leads to mason pond. The way students and staff treat the surrounding area has a direct impact on the water quality within the pond and the ecosystem within it. Some driving forces of influence here would be automobile use and the pollution that comes with it and nitrogen/phosphorous presence from landscaping around campus.
Social/cultural/economic/political settings or related ecosystems
Of these potential influences, cultural, social, and related ecosystems are most likely affecting mason pond. The cultural and social side of it is seen in the way students and staff members treat the pond and surrounding environment. Socially, it is relevant as a place to gather and run events. As far as related ecosystems go, the surrounding environment directly affects the health of the ecosystem within the pond. Climate patterns also, more directly, affect the pond itself as it is, again, a retention pond. The pond certainly follows the ecological flow of the surrounding environment. How many species and individuals of each species are influencing the pond reflect fluctuations in the surrounding environment.
What Can we Do?
This small ecosystem reflects the ways all similar ecosystems are treated within the Northern Virginia and DC metropolitan area. To influence the environment positively humans need to be more careful about what permanent waste products and chemicals are released into the environment and how they influence the environment. Action can be taken to aid in the environment’s recovery. For example, the planting of SAV beds is appropriate and helpful in some areas and reduction of pollution is appropriate in any instance.