Woodland pools are temporary wetlands that provide an array of benefits, from buffering against floods to ensuring future populations of frogs and salamanders. Given their importance, it would be easy to assume they’re protected. Sadly, this is far from true.
Here in New York State, protection is only afforded to wetlands that exceed 12.4 acres. This is too large for woodland pools, and many other wetlands as well. Federally, the Clean Water Act protects wetlands, but over the past decade efforts have focused on those attached to flowing, navigable waters. Most woodland pools fall outside of this definition, leaving them vulnerable.
Piecemeal approaches to wetland protection have made it hard for conservationists to safeguard woodland pools. Adding to the dilemma—if we want to ensure that woodland pools are viable breeding grounds for amphibians, we also need to protect surrounding upland habitat.
The frogs and salamanders that breed in the pools move up to 1,000 ft from the pond into nearby forests, where they spend most of their lives. If pools are protected while the surrounding forest is developed, amphibians will still disappear.
Protecting upland habitat needed to maintain healthy woodland pools requires strong land use planning based on an understanding of both the location of pools and the movements of the animals that use them.
Moving forward, we need to focus on identifying biologically-rich woodland pools and making them priorities for conservation.
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This segment was written in collaboration with Michael Rubbo of Teatown Lake Reservation
Photo, taken on May 13, 2012, courtesy of Nicholas Tonelli via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, with partial support from the Field Day Foundation.