Determining the Importance of Vernal Pools Across Geophysical and Urbanization Gradients to Inform Regulation, Conservation, and Management
Project Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2 Wetland Program
End Date: June 30, 2021
Summary
In this project we are compiling available data on vernal pool quality in rural and urban locations in major regions of NYS and conducting field sampling to fill knowledge gaps. We are using these data to propose criteria for "significant" vernal pools that will vary across different hydrological basins and landscape contexts, with a goal of more vernal pools being added to New York’s regulated wetland maps.
Zoology Team Lead: Matthew Schlesinger, Ph.D.
Ecology Team Lead: Laura Shappell, Ph.D.
Wetland ecologist Laura Shappell surveying canopy cover within a vernal pool (Westchester County). Photo by Leah Nagel.
How You Can Help
Learn more about these unique wetland communities by visiting our vernal pool community description guide.
Egg Mass ID Resources
Harris Center's Vernal Pool Amphibian Egg Mass Identification (PDF, 6.3 MB)
Winding Trails Park staff made a beautiful vernal pool fauna StoryMap that's illustrated with photos and videos.
NYS DEC Woodland Pool Wildlife (PDF, 949 KB)
Field ID Cards for Northeast Vernal Pool Indicator Species (PDF, 5.9 MB)
Spotted salamander egg masses spotted during a spring survey (Saratoga County). Photo by Greg Edinger.
Be a road crossings volunteer - check out NYS DEC's efforts to monitor spring amphibian migrations and road crossings
Other NYS DEC resources:
Woodland Pool Conservation
NY Herp Atlas Project
Presentations
2018 Northeast Natural History Conference poster presentation (Revised Feb 2019)
Vernal pool database statewide coverage (Last updated Feb 8, 2019).
2018 Northeast Natural History Conference poster presentation (Revised Feb 2019).
Partners
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish, Wildlife & Marine Resources (NYS DEC)
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forest (ESF)
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks)
Upper Susquehanna Coalition (USC)
Data Partners
Black Rock Forest, Cornell University, Hudson River Estuary Program, Hudsonia, North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative, NYC Department of Environmental Protection, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Office of Parks, Resources, and Historic Preservation, Paul Smith’s College, Pfeiffer Nature Center, Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Plattsburg, The Nature Conservancy, Upper Susquehanna Coalition, US Geological Survey, and Vermont Center for Ecostudies.
Research Topics/Keywords
egg mass surveys, habitat structure, rapid assessment, vernal pool assessment, unusual local importance, wetland condition assessment, wetland floristic quality
Dec. 11, 2020 | Updated Feb. 5, 2021, 10:28 a.m.