Vernal pools: What's the big deal?

Picture of Salamander November 2008 on upland of Wiggin Trail.

Did you know there are lots of vernal pools in the Holbrook Town Forest?

What is a vernal pool?

In Massachusetts, vernal pools are defined as confined basin depressions with no permanently flowing outlet, which DO NOT contain an established reproducing fish population and which DO provide habitat for certain vertebrate and/or invertebrate wildlife species. Vernal pools are (in almost all cases) temporarily flooded (hence the reason for no fish). They are filled with water in the spring (vernal means "spring") and early summer and are usually completely dry by late summer. Vernal pools typically hold water for more than 2 months of most years. Vernal pools occur in upland and wetland areas and range in size from a few yards to several acres. http://www.massnature.com/Wildlife/Vernalpoolcreatures/vpinfo.htm

Why are they important?
The Environmental Protection Agency's web site explains the importance of vernal pools:
The isolation and their periodic drying keep them free from populations of predatory fish. This reduced-predator environment is essential for the breeding success of many amphibian species, such as spotted salamanders and wood frogs, and the survival of unique invertebrates, such as fairy shrimp. Additionally, they support local and regional biodiversity by serving as important breeding, nursery, and feeding grounds for wildlife, including amphibians, invertebrates, turtles, snakes, mammals, and birds. http://www.epa.gov/bioiweb1/html/vernal_pools.html

What else should we know about vernal pools and surrounding forested landscapes?
In a publication of Forestry guidelines published by the University of Maine, the importance of conserving the Upland Forested areas around vernal pools is explained: The surrounding upland forest supports vernal pool amphibians during the 11.5 months in which they are not using breeding pools. These areas not just "buffer zones", but are actually "life zones".
http://www.maineaudubon.org/resource/documents/VernalPoolHMG-final.pdf

Another wonderful Massachusetts based web site with lots of great info about vernal pools is http://www.vernalpool.org/