Vernal Pool Monitoring
     

In 2007,  the commission received a grant from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund to conduct a town-wide vernal pool inventory. Knowing the location of vernal pools is critical in the development of the conservation plan. The presence or absence of this critical wetland habitat will help us evaluate which contiguous forest tracts to target for conservation. Further, as we consider maintaining corridors for wildlife, mapping forested connections between vernal pools will be important for the genetic mixing needed to maintain healthy populations of these amphibians.

• Amphibian populations are growing or diminishing over time.
• Automobile traffic is impacting amphibian populations.
• Our efforts to reduce traffic impacts are successful.
• Climate change is impacting vernal pools.

To do this we will monitor a select group of pools and note when frogs and salamanders arrive to breed,  the number of egg masses for each amphibian species, and when (or whether) the pools dry up.

If you would like to become a vernal pool monitor contact Patti Smith at the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center: 257-5785. The following vernal pool monitoring documents will provide most of the information you need to participate:

Egg mass id sheet: wood frogs

Over the past year more than 130 vernal pools have been identified
and mapped in Dummerston. Each spring these pools teem with life, and as the young
amphibians move to the forest they become an important part of the larger food chain. This
year we will select a group of Dummerston vernal pools for ongoing monitoring. We will use the information gathered to answer two important questions over time:

Is climate change affecting our vernal pools hydroperiod (the length of time and period of the year the pools hold water?

         Are populations of vernal pool amphibians growing, declining, or
         fluctuating?

We need help with this project! We are looking for a group of volunteers who would be willing to monitor a pool or group of pools each spring. Pool monitors
will track when amphibian breeding commences, the number of frog and salamander egg masses, and when (or if) the pool dries.

If you would like to become a Vernal Pool Monitor, contact Patti Smith at the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center at (802) 257-57885.

Dummerston Vernal Pool Project Protocol

The following documents can be downloaded at http://www.dummerstonconservation.com, then go to documents and the drop down menu will include Vernal Pool Monitoring documents.  You can download them from there. 

Vernal Pool Monitoring Protocol (word)

Data Form (word)

Data Form sample (word)

Egg Mass identification guide (pdf)

When to monitor:
Once wood frogs begin calling, pool visits should take place once per week until new egg masses stop appearing.  This might take up to five weeks. If you are on the pool monitoring list serve then you will be notified when people begin hearing these guys in the pools. Remember, if you are at a high elevation, they may arrive later.

Later in the summer try to note approximately when (or if) your pool dries. Try to make your field trips when the visibility into the water will be good. Mid-day on a sunny day is usually the best time. Polarized sunglasses will help reduce glare.

What to take with you:
‡” Field data sheets (one for each pool) on a clipboard  
‡” Pencil or sharpie (if your data sheets are printed on waterproof paper)
‡” Camera
‡” Container to hold photographic subjects
‡” Polarized sunglasses

Please take photos of you pool on the first visit, and again in the late summer. Try to include any landmarks that distinguish it, and note which direction you were facing.

The Field Data Sheet
Pool Name: Unless your pool has an assigned name, please give it a name, preferably one that will help us identify it.

Weather: Note any cloud cover, wind, precipitation, and the approximate temperature.

Visibility: This refers to how well you can see to do an accurate egg mass count. If you can see each egg mass clearly, check �gExcellent,�h if glare, algae or other conditions make it difficult to count, check �gSomewhat Impaired,�h and if it is impossible to get an accurate count, check �gPoor.�h Make a note of the conditions that made counting a challenge in the �gOther Notes�h section.

Water Level: Estimate the maximum depth of the pond by looking for dark stains on leaf litter at the edge of the pond. If it is hard to tell how deep the pool was, look for fingernail clams in the leaf litter at the pool edge. A rough guess is fine for this section of the form.

Egg Masses: Count clusters of eggs, not individual eggs.
‡” Wood frog egg masses are clumps of individual eggs with no surrounding gelatinous matrix. They tend to be spherical and are about the size of a tennis ball. Each mass can have up to 1,000 eggs!
‡” Spotted salamander egg masses have a thick matrix of jelly surrounding the eggs. It is the consistency of well-set Jello and will hold its shape when handled. This jelly can be clear or milky.
‡” Jefferson�fs salamander egg masses tend to have fewer than 30 eggs. The jelly matrix around the egg mass is watery, and the mass does not hold its shape when handled. These egg masses are clear and often form a cylinder around a stick. (See the egg mass id section of the Dummerston Conservation Commission website: www.dummerstonconservation.com)

Salamander Spermatophores are little white dots found in clusters on the pool bottom when salamander breeding begins. They contain the males sperm packets. Note if spermatophores are visible and if so, mark where you find them on your map.

Amphibians Observed: Note whether you see any of the amphibians listed. If you hear any frogs calling, note them, too. Photographs of any amphibians will be appreciated! The species listed in bold typeface are the species that prefer vernal pool habitat for breeding. The other species breed in a variety of wetland types.

Invertebrate Species: On one of your pool visits sift through the litter on the bottom of the pool to find fingernail clams. They are likely to be abundant, so it shouldn�ft take more than a few scoops to find them. Look for tiny white discs.

Fairy shrimp are likely to be visible early in the season, maybe before the wood frogs arrive. These little orange swimmers are about a half inch long.

Other Observations: Here you should note any other species you observed, any conditions that might have affected your egg mass count, and if the pool had algal growth.

Map: Sketch an outline of your pond as viewed from the air. Draw in where you found egg masses and spermatophores, note any islands, shrubs or branches in the pond. If there are part of the pond that you can�ft see from the shore that might have egg masses, denote the parts of the pond you have checked. If the pool is one that has not been mapped by the conservation commission, add landmarks that will help us locate the pond. Mark north on your map.

The Master Data Sheet
Record the name(s) of the observers and contact information.
Location: If the pool is one that has not been documented by the conservation commission, please give directions to the pool that will help us locate it. If the pool has already been mapped, then just record the name of the owner and the road that is used to get to the pond. If it is part of a series of ponds, sketch in the rough series of pools, draw a sketch of the pools on the map section of this form, and circle the pool this sheet describes.

Record the data from your field sheets on the Master Data Sheet. Remember to note the approximate date the wood frogs began singing and the approximate date when (if) the pool dried. If it didn�ft dry, please note that. Include any of your other observations and the dates, as well as any summary of the season you�fd like to include.

E mail your Master Data Sheet to beec@sover.net. Mail your map page to:
Patti Smith
Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center
PO Box 2318
West Brattleboro, VT  05303

OR drop it off at the Dummerston Town Office, ATTN: Conservation Commission