Temporary pools
Temporary ponds, or vernal pools, are dry for part of the year, but fill with water when the rains come or when the snow melts. They can be tiny puddles or quite extensive areas, such as playa lakes, but because very few fish can survive in them they provide a unique habitat for a number of rare invertebrates and amphibians. In the UK, one in four woodland, old meadow and heathland temporary ponds contains Red Data species.
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Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species. Certain tropical fish lineages (such as killifishes) have adapted to this habitat specifically, however.
Most pools are dry for at least part of the year and fill with the winter rains or snow melt. Some pools may remain at least partially filled with water over the course of a year or more, but all vernal pools dry up periodically. This ensures the absence of fish, a chief characteristic of all pools.
They are called vernal pools because they are often, but not necessarily, at their peak depth in the spring ("vernal" meaning of, relating to, or occurring in the spring).
Despite being dry at times, once filled they teem with life. The most obvious inhabitants are various species of frogs and toads. Some salamanders also utilize vernal pools for reproduction, but the adults may visit the pool only briefly. Other notable inhabitants are daphnia and fairy shrimp, the latter often used as an indicator species to decisively define a vernal pool. Other indicator species, at least in New England, are the wood frog, the spadefoot toad, and four species of mole salamanders.
In some northern areas, tadpole shrimp are also common.
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Other Freshwater Habitats
- Bog
- Brackish water
- Lakes and ponds
- Marsh
- Rivers and streams
- Swamp
- Temporary pools
- Wetlands
Ecozones where this habitat is found
Useful adaptations for this habitat
Where you find Temporary pools
Elsewhere on the web
- Vernal pool (wikipedia.org)
Site links
BBC links
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