Wetlands
are very productive ecosystems that are home to a wide variety of plants and
animals. Unfortunately, more than 90 percent of Ohio wetlands have been drained
or filled for development and farming practices. Because of these factors, high
priority is given to preserving remaining wetlands and restoring lost wetlands
within the parks.
Preserving our remaining wetlands consists of making sure these areas are
protected from further development and removing invasive species as they occur.
Invasive species that threaten wetlands in our area include narrow-leaved
cattail, Eurasian water-milfoil, purple loosestrife, and glossy buckthorn.
Vernal pools are a special type of wetland found within some of our parks. They
are defined as shallow depressions that hold water for at least part of the
year. Vernal pools are usually forested, do not contain fish, and tend to dry up
in the summer months. Frogs, salamanders, fairy shrimp, and many other species
depend on the seasonal flooding of vernal pools to reproduce and carry out life
cycles. Many of these areas remain intact today because they were deemed too wet
to farm or develop in the past.
Each year
volunteers and staff survey amphibian populations at these pools. During the
first few warm wet nights of spring many species of salamanders and frogs
congregate to reproduce at these pools, often in surprising numbers. One-way
mesh traps are placed near the pools and checked each morning so that species
found can be recorded and released.
Preservation Parks of Delaware County | 2656 Hogback Road | Sunbury, Ohio 43074 | 740-524-8600 | Fax: 740-524-8200