Ohio Vernal Pool Partnership

Vernal Pool Facts .:·

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.

©Mick Micacchion

Vernal pools derive their name from Latin “vernus”, meaning “belonging to spring”.

These usually small, but very dynamic wetlands fill with water, blossom with life and host a cacophony of sounds and a plethora of life forms every spring, only to disappear into the forest floor every autumn. The organisms that inhabit it race against time and compete with each other every year, their life histories fine-tuned to live in a world where a rain one day too late, a few grams of weight, or an unlucky encounter with predaceous beetle larvae means the difference between life and death. A vernal pool is a place where a good naturalist can weave many fascinating stories about the amazing life forms, adaptations, and life histories of its inhabitants, and demonstrate it by a single swoop of a dip net!

©Chris Caprette

Vernal pool is a miniature, fascinatingly complex and fragile world, with all of its drama played out every year close to our homes, and yet most of us have never witnessed it. They are also one of Ohio ’s most rapidly disappearing natural gems.

Ohio Vernal Pool Partnership (OVPP) was initiated to encourage community-based conservation of vernal pools through education, partnerships, science, and the discovery of our natural world.

Creature Feature for Summer 2008
	Spotted Salamanders have been observed everywhere in Ohio except a small bluegrass area in Ohio in Adams County Learn more! Watch a Spotted salamander in action!

What you can do!

Please join our listserv, a place to exchange ideas and experiences regarding education, protection, study, and restoration of vernal pools throughout Ohio (david@theoec.org)
Become a volunteer for the vernal pool monitoring program
Become a partner in vernal pool education and outreach - visit our EDUCATION page, and send us your materials (david@theoec.org)
Find our more about vernal pool best management practices, protection and restoration information
Expert already and willing to devote some of your time to being a local contact for vernal pool information? Please sign up for our "Local Contact" list (david@theoec.org)
Advertise your activities related to protection and restoration of vernal pools (david@theoec.org)

PLEASE JOIN US!

If you are interested in becoming a partner of the OVPP, or to inform us about your organization’s interest in vernal pool conservation, please contact David Celebrezze at (david@theoec.org)

Questions or comments about OVPP should be addressed to info@ovpp.org. Problems about the web site should be addressed to webmaster@ovpp.org.

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