Vernal pool conservation in Ohio
Ohio has lost over 90% of its original wetlands over the past several centuries.
Ninety-five percent of Ohio used to be covered by forests. Forest cover dropped to just 10% in the early 1900's. Currently, 30% of the state is forested, mostly in the hill country.
Over 90% of all trees in Ohio are on private land, and therefore private landowners are a critical component of our effort to save vernal pool habitats.
Some woodlots in agricultural areas were spared because they were too wet to farm. These will be key areas to locate and protect before they are impacted through urban development.
Salamanders and frogs breeding in vernal pools need the surrounding forest to survive. Most of them use an area up to 200 meters from the pond as feeding and overwintering grounds, and for this reason forest and wetland protection need to be integrated.
The distribution of species adapted to vernal pools, such as wood frogs and spotted salamanders, has decreased recently in agricultural and urban areas. It could be only a matter of time before many denizens of vernal pools are on the Ohio endangered species list.
Macroinvertebrates are invertebrates that you can see without magnification. They are animals that do not have a backbone. There are thousands of species of macroinvertebrates that live in vernal pools. A key role they play is to break down the leaf litter (detritus), eat algae, and bacteria.