Perhaps you’ve encountered a vernal pool while exploring your favorite forest, but didn’t realize what it was. They do disguise themselves as somewhat still, murky, and rather uneventful shallow depressions of water on the land. However, beneath that surface, the habitat is beaming with activity from salamanders, frogs, fairy shrimp, and insects!
Vernal pools fill with snow melt and rainwater, and most are seasonal in nature only appearing in the spring and fall months. These temporary wetlands are very important to the lifecycle of amphibians, insects, and unique crustaceans that lie dormant most of the year. Since these habitats are seasonal, they typically do not include fish, which would otherwise prey on the eggs and juvenile species that depend on the pools for breeding.
Many vernal pools are void of trees but are typically surrounded by them and this offers shade to keep water temperatures down. Shrubs like buttonbush, willows, dogwoods, and even moisture tolerant upland blueberry bushes are often found in Pennsylvania vernal pools. There are also several herbaceous plants that thrive in vernal pools, typical species included bulrushes, wool-grass, sedges, ferns, and occasionally skunk cabbage.
What makes them so special? Vernal pools are critical breeding grounds for various amphibian and invertebrate species, provide temporary homes for reptile species, and are an easily accessible water source for mammals and birds.
Amphibians that rely on vernal pools for their lifecycle include mole salamanders, such as:
Spotted, Jefferson’s, and Marbled; newts, like the Red-spotted; many frog species, indicator species being Wood, Spadefoots, and Spring Peepers.
Many invertebrates utilize vernal pools as water is needed early in their lifecycles,
these include various insects and crustaceans. A unique and notable species indicative of vernal pools is the Fairy Shrimp.
Reptiles will take advantage of habitat provided by vernal pools.
Turtle species, such as: Painted, Spotted, Wood, Box, and Snapping; snakes, like Garter, Dekay’s (Brown), Ring-Necks, and Green will be seen passing through to take advantage of abundant water and food resources.
These critical habitats are being lost. Vernal pools are declining in number due to development and loss of woodland, pollution, and clearing of vegetation along these and other wetlands. As a result, populations of species dependent on these habitats for breeding have also begun to decline. *
Protecting and conserving vernal pools is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and preserving delicate species. In support of this, Berks Nature is proud to announce that we created a vernal pool habitat on our Neversink Mountain Preserve in September utilizing a grant from Pennsylvania American Water.
This new wildlife habitat is a welcoming addition to this nearly 1000-acre nature preserve. Within the steep topography of Neversink Mountain, the vernal pool also assists with stormwater runoff and erosion concerns. Stormwater directed toward the vernal pool is naturally slowed, allowing it to infiltrate into the ground instead of rapidly flooding down the mountain’s slopes, which in turn benefits the wetland seeps and baseflow of nearby Klapperthal Creek, a direct tributary to the Schuylkill River.
In partnership with AquaTerra Environmental and Albright College, Berks Nature installed two monitoring wells equipped with data loggers to track water levels and environmental conditions over time. This will provide regular data to study this real-world, water quality and wildlife management solution.
Due to the sensitive nature of this habitat, the vernal pool area is not open to the public but will be utilized for education, demonstration, and most importantly, as a sensitive breeding habitat.
We encourage you to explore the nearly 8 miles of trails on our Neversink Mountain Preserve. Click here for a trail map!
Written by Tami Shimp, VP of Development and Community Relations
Information from Penn State Cooperative Extension was referenced in this article.