Book 30, Question 16
What is a vernal pool?
A vernal pool is a small pond that fills with snowmelt and rain in spring and then dries up by summer.
Because it doesn't last all year, fish can't live there, which makes it a safe place for frogs, salamanders, and fairy shrimp to lay eggs. Their young grow fast before the water disappears. Vernal means spring, and these pools are important nurseries.
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Quick answers
What is a vernal pool?
Vernal pools form when a sunken area in the landscape fills with water, usually through some combination of spring rain and snowmelt.
Vernal pools lack fish, which make them prime habitat for breeding amphibians and other fish-intolerant species such as fairy shrimp.
Sources: Smithsonian, National Park Service
More fun facts
- Vernal pools, like the one pictured above, are shallow depressions that fill with water in spring and dry out by fall.
Sources: Smithsonian