![]() Insects have less of a homing mechanism than frogs and salamanders and will lay their eggs in any vernal pool that satisfies. The nymphs of dragonflies, for example, are as fierce as under-water predators as they are in the sky, often taking small fish or tadpoles for prey. ![]() Many insect species also take advantage of ephemeral pools to lay their eggs. Many of these animals lay their eggs in the exact same pool in which they were born, passing by seemingly suitable pools on the way. A lack of year-round water supply limits inhabitants to species that pass through an aquatic phase of life before metamorphizing into a terrestrial form.Īmphibian species that take advantage of vernal pools include wood frogs, red-spotted newts, and mole salamanders such as spotted salamanders. Fish are unable to populate ephemeral pools because the pools do not contain water throughout the year. Offspring then spend their first life-cycle in habitats with reduced competition and predation than would be found in larger ponds. The pools offer a relatively safe place for a variety of amphibians and insects to lay their eggs. Referred to as vernal or ephemeral pools, these little bodies of water, sometimes nothing more than a puddle really, are the staging place for the beginnings of life for numerous wildlife species that pass through an aquatic phase of life. Amidst the puddles and the potholes, there are some small bodies of water that appear fleetingly and are the life line for several wildlife species.Įach spring, small wetland-like pools of water fill up for a few short weeks before disappearing again with the heat of summer. Spring temperatures rise and fall, and between the rain and the melting snow, the land seems soggy and sloppy. Follow Johnson on Instagram to explore more of his underwater world, and see more on his website.Tis the season for muddy driveways, wiping the dog’s feet before he comes tromping through the house, and depositing boots by the door in an attempt to keep the floors clean. Learn more in the NANPA handbook Vernal Pools: Documenting Life in Temporary Ponds. ![]() ![]() In the following photos, we celebrate the spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, courtesy of photographer Steven David Johnson. For information on one of many vernal pool monitoring efforts in the Northeast, see our spring 2021 Forest and Wildlife Monitoring article on the Vermont Center for Ecostudies programs. The publication is an excellent guide for wherever vernal pools are found. The closing chapter is chock full of underwater photography tips, and the afterword touches on vernal pool threats and conservation, also providing resources for further exploration. The publication is a documentary of vernal pool life, with Johnson taking readers through the habits and life cycles of indicator species such as wood frogs, Jefferson, marbled, and spotted salamanders, fairy shrimp, and other amphibians and invertebrates that frequent these wetlands. The range of many of the amphibian and invertebrate species featured in the book overlap with species common in the Northeast. The North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA), a professional organization that promotes the art and science of nature photography as a medium of communication, nature appreciation, and environmental protection, recently released a free e-book celebrating vernal pools in southern Appalachia, featuring the beautiful underwater photography of Steven David Johnson. While we await “Big Night” (the rainy night - really more than one - when wood frogs and salamanders migrate to pools en masse) in the northern woodlands, amphibian eggs are already hatching in the southern Appalachian region, and the profusion of wildlife dependent on these pools is on full display. Vernal pools, ephemeral wetlands that come to life in early spring with wood frogs, spring peepers, fairy shrimp, and a variety of salamanders, are celebrated by ecologists and woodland explorers of all stripes. The smiling visage of a spotted salamander.
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