Vernal Pool Patrollers at Dauner Martin Nature Sanctuary completed their third visit of 2023 in late September.
Waders equipped, these Pool Patrollers were unsurprised to find that both pools they had been monitoring were both partially full – inundated with late summer and fall rain. Fallen maple, beech, and ash leaves, destined to become part of a healthy detritus layer, were collecting and slowly sinking to a shimmering and colorful pool basin.
In the warmer seasons, these pools are large and hold chest deep water, brimming with fairy shrimp and other macroinvertebrates. This time around, the two pools measured depths of 5 and 9 inches, about knee deep, with just a few lonesome daphnia.
The third visit is timed to document when pools dry out – an important element of the Pool Patrol. Observing when a potential pool completely dries confirms the presence of a vernal pool, ensuring that it remains a fishless haven for amphibians and others.
Vernal pool hydroperiods can be variable, and some with a unique flare will not dry out every year. But as frequent visitors of the sanctuary, patrollers at Dauner Martin recalled that it wasn’t until much later in the winter that the pools would usually completely dry out. Perhaps an excuse for another visit...
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