And in general, we know little about what distinguishes one wetland type from another. Most of us working in the landscape have come across mixed attitudes concerning wetlands. These important and diverse aquatic and semi-aquatic life forms depend directly on the local and regional hydrology (the movement of water in relation to land) where wetlands occur. Raising wetland conservation awareness through education is paramount for understanding the link between the ecological networks and biological processes of wetland plants and animals and the very important need for their continued protection. They are important natural habitats in many of our communities, and all wetlands, whether large or small, are part of our natural heritage. Their decline in rural and urban landscapes over the decades has raised concern, awareness and appreciation for their conservation value by people of all ages and walks of life. There are many types of wetlands in our environment. Introduction to Wetlands and Vernal Pools Then find out how the built environment affects vernal pools and what you can do to minimize disruption and damage. Learn more about the special nature of vernal pools, our smallest wetlands, and the habitat requirements of the species that inhabit them. There are many types of wetlands in our environment, but all of them are declining. If you would like to get into herpetology (aka the study of amphibians and reptiles), you can check out NCC’s list of species in Canada.By Maureen Sundberg on Main Conservation, Stormwater Management, Wildlife Habitats by Bruce Wenning And you can help too! Campers who find vernal pools can always contact the research sites to announce their findings. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it knowing we can help save species. Where specific insects are flying about, the amphibian predators should be lurking behind! Furthermore, catching and identifying insects helps, since amphibians eat insects. This means to take samples of water from the vernal pools and the soil surrounding.īut how’s that going to help identify amphibians? Luckily, just like reptiles, most amphibians shed their skin! Particles can be found in the water and earth samples and then sequenced to identify the species. Toads, frogs, and especially salamanders are experts at hiding, so the easiest method to use is environmental DNA sampling. In the meantime, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is collaborating with the Kenauk Institute and CERFO and university researchers to undergo invertebrate and amphibian inventories. To keep up the research, the teams need support from grants.Īllegheny mountain dusky salamander (Photo by Frédérick Lelièvre, Quebec Government) As it is super precise and sophisticated, it’s also pricey and time consuming. This technology maps out the landscape using photographs. The Kenauk Research Institute, with the help from Le Centre d’Enseignement et de la Recherche en Foresterie de Sainte-foy (CERFO), have started to map out vernal pools with a laser remote technology called LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). A lot of research is focused in this area, and for good reason too it’s huuuuge! With 260 square kilometers, there’s a lot of potential hotspots for vernal pool formation. In Quebec, the Kenauk property is super important for Canada’s biodiversity. Here I will go into detail about the conservation of vernal pools and the species that rely on them.Ĭonservation groups are doing their best to establish rescue missions, but it involves multiple projects to find every answer needed.
In Part One of this blog I provided a 101 on vernal pools why this seasonal ecosystem created from rainfall that accumulates in land depressions is so important to wildlife, in particular amphibians.
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