In 2004, Marie Terlizzi conducted a transect study of a previously unstudied open “room” in Zurich Bog, located in Wayne County, New York as an attempt to locate more rare and threatened orchid species than what was previously recorded. Twenty years after the original study, the original coordinates were revisited and expanded upon to capture broader data on the bog and species found within it, as well as where changes in populations occurred. The five original transects were followed and pH, soil moisture, and canopy cover data for each of the prior plots along them were collected. New permanent 5X5 meter plots in areas not previously recorded were created. ArcGIS was used to track and upload field data to compare the past data with the current data in a web app. By using ArcGIS for data management, there are photos attached to each point for next year's field season to prevent having to guess the exact location where the plots were located. The second chapter of the thesis will focus on using ENVI software in combination with ArcGIS to hone in on the changes occurring to the floating fen on the property, which has been shrinking in size since the neighboring property has dug trenches for muck farming. So far the results have shown a decline and extirpation of past populations of threatened orchids such as Arethusa bulbosa (Dragon’s Mouth) in the bog, but an expansion of the more common Cypripedium populations. The declines are currently suspected to be primarily due to changing pH levels throughout the bog, and the increases from increased open canopy due to management practices. Combined, this data shows the full history of the deterioration of the bog environment and the relationship between this and the disappearance and occurrence of rare orchid species.
