MIDWESTERN EPHEMERAL WETLANDS /J Forest Prairie/Grassland Ephemeral Wetlands may also be referred to as ephemeral ponds, seasonal ponds, temporary ponds or vernal pools. Ephemeral Wetlands are depressional wetlands that temporarily hold water in the spring and early summer or after heavy rains. Periodically, these wetlands dry up, often in mid to late summer. They are isolated without a permanent inlet or outlet, but may overflow in times of high water. Ephemeral Wetlands are free of fish, which allows for the successful breeding of certain amphibians and invertebrates. Savannah/Open Woodland eJtCHtt ------- EPHEMERAL WETLA N D S : EPHEMERAL W E T L A N D S : EPHEMERAL WETLAND S: -Summer Although a wetland itself may not be altered, without the surrounding upland habi- tat the "wetland "will not continue to be productive and species such as reptiles and amphibians will eventually be lost. Many creatures that depend on Ephemeral Wetlands for some part of their life cycle need the surrounding habitat just as much. Frogs, toads and salamanders breed in the wetland but generally feed and spend most of the year in the upland. Turtles "will feed in the "wetland but require uplands for nesting. Snow melt and spring rains fill Ephemeral Wetlands, providing breeding habitat for many amphibians and aquatic inverte- brates. The developing larvae provide an important food source for migrating birds. In early spring ' frogs migrate from their nearby 'woodland habitat to Ephemeral Wetlands in search of mates. Female 'wood frogs lay up to a thousand eggs in rounded masses about the size of a tennis ball. The eggs are attached to small twigs and branch- es, just under the sur- face of the 'water (Tyning, 1990). By mid-summer the wetland begins to dry out and the surrounding upland habitat becomes critical for the newly emerging amphibians. Wood frog tadpoles are in a race against time. They have to find food, grow, avoid predators and begin to develop into frogs before the 'wetland dries up (Tyning, 1990). Once they emerge from the 'water the 'wood frogs 'will spend the rest of the year in the surrounding uplands or 'woodlands. Wood frogs over-winter in leaf litter, old logs and small burrows in the uplands. They avoid freezing due to an anti- freeze like compound in their bodies. Many amphibians over-winter in the surrounding upland habitat during the winter months. ^y^^j^~3^c^?ia*a By fall there are very few traces of the once productive wetland. This dry phase eliminates fish and completes the life cycle for invertebrates like Fairy Shrimp whose eggs require a dry period to hatch in the spring. Amphibians and reptiles that use Ephemeral Wetlands, such as the one circled in blue above, need intact upland habitat. Roads, cars, houses and buildings create barriers and hazards to migration for wildlife and directly impact important habitat. These wetlands need to remain linked by continuous upland habitat to other wet- lands and wildlife populations. FOREST Wood Ducks (left), Spotte r (middle), Wood Frog (rl as small as six to twelve feet across. usually isolated from permanent waterbodies. linked to the surrounding upland habitat. critical habitat for many wildlife species. important to migrating birds. EPHEMERAL WETLANDS ARE: • important for flood control and water quality. • not well protected under current regulations. • not well understood. • difficult to identify when they dry out. • threatened by invasive plant species. often converted to other uses such as detention ponds, fish ponds, agriculture, or dump sites. being lost across the Midwest. Upland habitat usage for a typical amphibian is repre- sented by the green circle in the photograph above. The population of spotted salamanders breeding in the wetland (circled in blue) also utilizes the surrounding upland up to 534 feet from the wetland edge (Semlitsch, 1998). This habitat is essential for feeding and over-wintering. Some species such as Blanding's turtles and leopard frogs may travel up to a mile or more away from the waterbody. CONVERSIONS: Many of our small Ephemeral ^Vetlands have been drained and filled to facilitate agriculture, building new subdivisions or other development. This not only eliminates habitat, but aLio increases the. risk of local flooding. Others have been excavated to construct storm-water detention ponds. During rain storms pollutants are washed into these ponds. Still others have been converted to permanent ponds for raising fish and other forms of aquaculture. Permanent bodies of water tend to support fish, which are known to significantly reduce successful breeding of amphib- ians and aquatic invertebrates. PROTECTION ISSUES: Ephemeral Wetlands are hard to define, identify and protect because they tend to be small, isolated and at certain times of the year do not hold -water. These -wetlands tend to be highly productive. They -warm quickly in spring and produce abundant quantities of food for developing amphibians, reptiles and migrating birds, especially waterfowl. Even small sites, much less than an acre, can produce hundreds of frogs, toads and salamanders. They also provide critical links to other -wetlands and -wildlife populations. Establishing appropriate legal protection for resources of such immense eco- logical value is difficult, and the level of protection currently given to Ephemeral ^Vetlands varies from state to state. SAVANNAH/OPEN WOODLAND Great Egret (left), Devil Crayfish (middle), Cope's Gray Treefrog (right) PRAIRIE/GRASSLAND Pintail Duck (left), Ribbon Snake (middle), Eastern Tiger Salamander (right) ------- ' * V*iv«^ • :/4S i^-» So, Who Cares? YOU SHOULD! Marbled Salamander This community is depending on you for protection. Spring Peeper ! Gray Treefrog Tadpole \ ./jit ll I , ' I T * EPHEMERAL WETLAND CONSERVATION do- to- pA&t&ct awl psieA&w& Ephemeral Support the protection of these wetlands and their surrounding habitat. Visit Ephemeral Wetlands in your area — experience their uniqueness. Volunteer for local restoration efforts — contact local conservation organizations. Raise awareness in your local community to promote appropriate land use planning that will protect Ephemeral Wetlands and their upland habitat. Consider long-term protection options for wetlands on your private property such as conservation easements — contact your local land trust. Start a register of Ephemeral Wetlands in your area. (For an example see www.vernalpool.org) Participate in local amphibian monitoring programs like frog calling surveys and amphibian and reptile atlas projects coordinated by local conservation organizations. Join local conservation organizations involved in wetland protection. Visit USEPA Region 5 website at: www.epa.gov/R5water/ephemeralwetlands or the Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management website: http://herps.ipfw.edu/wetlands/ephemeral/ for additional information on Ephemeral Wetlands and to obtain more copies of this brochure. For information on wetland regulations contact your state natural resource agency, county soil & water conservation district, or the US. Army Corps of Engineers. For general wetlands information visit the USEPA wehsite at www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands or call the Wetlands Hotline 1-800-832-7828 Sponsored hy: • ilirld /in 4 W *«* *«l *• MILWAUKEE PUBUC IMUSEUMI Declining Amphibian Populations NATURAL Task Force -STORY m PNRCS Produced by: The Conservation Foundation www.theconservationfoundation.org Place local contact information here. PHOTO CREDITS: Page 1 top: Mike Redmer; bottom left: Michael R. Jeffords; bottom right: M. Redmer; Page 2 frog life cycle series: M. Redmer; seasonal series: Joan Jass; Page 2 bottom left: USFWS photo by Dave Menke; bottom middle: M. Redmer; bottom right: M. Redmer; Page 3 top left: Ed Hammer; top right: AirPhotoUSA (airphotousa.com); bottom left: Bill Glass; bottom middle: M. Redmer; bottom right: M. Redmer; Page 4: top left: United States Fish and Wildlife Service; top right: E. Hammer; bottom left: M. Jeffords; bottom middle: M. Redmer; bottom right: M. Redmer; Page 5 background: Leo P. Kenney; clockwise from upper left: M. Redmer, B. Glass, M. Redmer, M. Redmer, M. Redmer, M. Redmer, M. Redmer, M. Redmer, M. Redmer, M. Redmer, M. Blanford, M. Jeffords. ILLUSTRATION: Judith Huf. REFERENCES: Tyning, Thomas F, Stokes Nature Guides - A Guide to Amphibians & Reptiles. Little, Brown & Company. Boston 1990. Semlitsch R. D., 1998. Biological delineation of terrestrial buffer zones for pond-breeding salamanders. Conservation Biology. Volume 12, pages 1113-1119. This publication was funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under grant No. CD97501001-1. Points of view expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mention of trade names and commercial products does not constitute endorsement of their use. Printed on recycled paper - 2001 ------- |