38 - A SURVEY OF AQUATIC MACRO- AND MICRO-INVERTEBRATES OF VERNAL GRANITE OUTCROP POOLS IN NORTH GEORGIA

Abstract

Vernal granite outcrop pools offer refugia and habitat for a richness of species with many of which display traits for survival in these extreme and ephemeral ecosystems. While the pools are rich with life, little is known about what macro- and micro-invertebrates inhabit them in North America. The state of Georgia hosts a majority of the granite outcrops of North America with estimates of up to 90% of the outcrops lying within its borders. Sampling was done four times throughout early spring until mid-summer at 4 locations all located in North Georgia: Stone Mountain, Arabia Mountain, Panola Mountain, and Thompson Mill Forest Arboretum. Most of the specimens collected were rotifers, chironomids, and culicids. Of the locales, Thompson mill and Arabia Mountain had the most abundance while Arabia Mountain and Panola Mountain had the highest species diversity. These pools could be acting as refugia for endemic or endangered species and therefore more work needs to be completed to understand and better protect these unique aquatic environments.

Keywords: vernal pool, granite outcrop, North Georgia, Macro-invertebrate, Micro-invertebrate