Vernal Pool
Vernal pools are small confined basins of standing water in forests that periodically dry. Pools can lack vegetation or be dominated by shrubs and grass-like vegetation. These pools are unique because the periodic drying prevents fish from becoming established. The lack of fish allows a unique assemblage of wildlife to utilize these ponds.
In the Hudson Hills and Highlands, mole salamanders such as spotted salamanders, Jefferson's salamanders, marbled salamanders and wood frogs rely on vernal pools for breeding and as nurseries for their young. The salamander larvae and frog tadpoles grow in the pools until the begin metamorphosis at which point they leave the pools for the surrounding forest only to return to breed. Vernal pools also provide nursery habitat for a variety of insects including dragonflies, damselflies, beetles, and fairy shrimp. Pools are used as a water and food source by a wide variety of animals in the forest.
We have identified a number of vernal pools at Teatown. Spotted salamanders, Jefferson's salamanders, marble salamanders and wood frogs have been observed breeding in these pools. Snapping turtles, green frogs, and pickerel frogs have also been observed in these pools.
Conservation Issues
Vernal pools are a habitat that is extremely sensitive to changes in the landscape. Unfortunately, due to their small size and lack of connections to other bodies of water, they are not always protected by federal or state regulations. Some local municipalities have enacted ordinances that protect pools; however, these laws do not protect enough of the forested habitat surrounding pools. The wildlife that rely on these pools for breeding and rearing their young spend the majority of their time in forests, moving up to 1000 ft from pools into the forest. Therefore, to adequately protect a pool a significant amount of forest will need to be protected as well. It is important to protect these pools because a high-quality pool can produce thousands of juvenile salamanders and frogs each year. One they leave the pool, these animals enter the food chain of the forest where they are utilized by countless numbers of organisms.
