Effects of Abiotic Factors on the Abundance of Eastern Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) in Two Central Pennsylvania Springs

• Erin V. Satterthwaite

  Juniata College

  Author

• Brad C. Simpson

  Juniata College

  Author

• Beth A. Woodhouse

  Juniata College

  Author

This study investigated the abundance of the skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) at Warm Spring and Cold Spring. We tested whether abiotic factors such as spring water pH, spring water temperature, soil pH, soil moisture, and soil temperature affected the abundance of skunk cabbage. We examined ten plots at each site, five on each side of each spring brook and conducted total counts within each plot. We found that skunk cabbage abundance was significantly positively correlated with soil moisture along both Warm Spring (r2 = 0.5971, P < 0.009) and Cold Spring (r2 = 0.5993, P < 0.009). Soil moisture appeared to have a stronger effect on skunk cabbage abundance than did the other abiotic factors examined.

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