Vernal Pools & Plants by Brian Gara. 2011.

1. Brian Gara
Ohio EPA Wetland Ecology Group
March 19, 2011

2. Talk Overview
Plants as indicators of ecological condition
(“environmental health”).
(“environmental health”).
Species indicative of high quality vernal pools:
Woody Species (Trees and Shrubs)
Non-woody species
Non-woody
Sedges
Grasses & Other Herbaceous Monocots and Dicots
Ferns
Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts)
Brief summary of GIS project to identify potential vernal
pool restoration sites in Ohio.

3. Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum )

4. Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus)
(Lithobates sylvaticus)

5. What About Plants???

6. Brome-like Sedge(Carex bromoides)

7. Crested Fern (Dryopteris cristata)
(Dryopteris cristata)

8. Sharpwing Monkeyflower (Mimulus alatus)
alatus)

9. The answer is “YES”!!!
Many plant species show a strong affinity to very
specific habitats.
Slight disturbances in the environment lead to a
loss of more sensitive species, and an increase in the
more “weedy” tolerant ones.
“weedy”
Knowing the plants will help you determine if
there is a vernal pool present (even when dry!) and
also give solid evidence of its overall ecological
condition.

11. Floristic Quality Assessment
Index (FQAI)
Numeric score from 0 to 10 assigned to
each Ohio vascular plant species.
Called “Coefficient of Conservatism” (C of
C). Refers to the affinity of each species to
a particular habitat type.
“Tolerant” species that occur in a wide
variety of habitats have a low score.
“Sensitive” species have a higher number.

12. Common Reed (Phragmites australis)
C of C = 0
Plants with a wide range of ecological tolerances, including
all non-native taxa

13. Rice Cutgrass (Leersia oryzoides)
C of C = 1 to 2
Widespread taxa that are generally not typical of a particular
community.

14. C of C = 3 to 5
Plants having an
intermediate range of
ecological tolerances.
May be found in a
stable phase of some
native community, but
also can persist under
some disturbance.
Swamp Milkweed
(Asclepias incarnata)

15. Skunk Cabbage
(Symphoricarpus foetidus)
C of C = 6 to 8
Plants that typify
stable or near
“climax” conditions.

16. Pitcher Plant
(Sarracenia purpurea)
C of C = 9 to 10
Reserved for those
plant species that have
an extremely narrow
range of ecological
tolerances.
Typically found in very
specialized habitat
types (bogs, fens,
limestone outcrops,
etc.)

17. Procedure for scoring and categorizing wetlands based on the plantplant
community structure.
Calculates a score between 0 and 100 based on a series of “metrics”
“ metrics”
derived from field data (e.g., plant identification, cover class, and
class,
stem diameter size classes) collected within a standard 20 meter x
meter
50 meter vegetation plot.
Using the VIBI you can compare the relative ecological condit ion
condition
of wetlands within a particular class.
Strong statistical correlation between ecological condition ofof
wetlands when results compared from the amphibian community
assessment techniques and the VIBI.
Because the plant community is such an excellent indicator of
ecosystem health, the VIBI is used by Ohio EPA to assess ecological
ecological
condition in all wetland types and across all ecoregions in the state.

18. Vernal Pool Plants
Most vernal pools are classified as isolated depressions
(hydrogeomorphic class)
Hydrology is predominantly driven by precipitation
Some vernal pools also have an input of
groundwater, which allows them to stay wet longer
into the summer.
The predominant plant community types associated
with vernal pools are forested and scrub-shrub.
The plant community plays a critical role in the overall
hydrologic regime of these vernal pools!

21. Characteristic woody species of vernal pools
Trees
Silver Maple ( Acer saccharinum), Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Green
(Acer saccharinum), (Acer rubrum),
Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
(Fraxinus pennsylvanica), (Quercus palustris)
common in all types and in disturbed and undisturbed swamps
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor), Pumpkin Ash (Fraxinus
(Quercus bicolor), (Fraxinus
profunda), Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra), and Shellbark Hickory (Carya
profunda), (Fraxinus nigra), (Carya
laciniosa)
laciniosa)
often better quality and/or more mature
Shrubs
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
(Cephalanthus occidentalis)
probably the most characteristic shrub species of vernal pools
Other species include: Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Spicebush
(Ilex verticillata),
(Lindera benzoin), Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum), Swamp Rose
benzoin), (Cornus amomum),
(Rosa palustris).
palustris).

22. Ohio Vernal Pool Trees - Maples
Silver Maple
(Acer saccharinum)
C of C = 3
Red Maple
(Acer rubrum)
C of C = 2

23. Pin Oak
(Quercus palustris)
C of C = 5

24. Swamp White Oak
(Quercus bicolor)
C of C = 7

25. Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) C of C = 3

26. Photo by Dr. Bob
Klips
Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra) C of C = 7

27. Pumpkin Ash (Fraxinus profunda) C of C = 7

28. Shellbark Hickory
(Carya laciniosa)
laciniosa)
C of C = 7

29. Buttonbush
(Cephalanthus occidentalis)
C of C = 6

30. Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris)
C of C = 5

31. Winterberry
(Ilex verticillata)
C of C = 6

32. Spicebush
(Lindera benzoin)
C of C = 5

33. Sedges

34. Carex
characteristics

35. Hop Sedge (Carex lupulina)
(Carex lupulina)
C of C = 3

36. Gray’s Sedge (Carex grayii)
Gray’ (Carex grayii)
C of C = 5

37. Fringed Sedge (Carex crinita)
(Carex crinita)
C of C = 3

38. Graceful Sedge (Carex gracillima)
(Carex gracillima)
C of C = 4

39. Photo by Tom Arbour Brome-like Sedge(Carex bromoides)
C of C = 7

40. Drooping Sedge(Carex prasina)
C of C = 8

41. Grasses & other
Wetland
Herbaceous Plants

42. Fowl Manna Grass
(Glyceria striata)
striata)
C of C = 2
Photo by Patricia Bresnahan

43. Floating Manna Grass Yellow Water-Buttercup
Water-
(Glyceria septentrionalis ) & (Ranunculus flabellaris)
flabellaris)
C of C = 6 C of C = 8

44. Skunk Cabbage
(Symplocarpus foetidus )
C of C = 7

45. Skunk Cabbage
(Symplocarpus foetidus )
C of C = 7
Photo by Cheryl Harner

46. Green Dragon
(Arisaema dracontium)
C of C = 5

47. Cardinal Flower
(Lobelia cardinalis)
cardinalis)
C of C = 5

48. Sharpwing Monkeyflower
(Mimulus alatus)
alatus)
C of C = 6

49. Water Parsnip
(Sium suave)
C of C = 6

50. Ferns

51. Circular Growth Pattern

52. “Fiddleheads”

53. Sori
Goldie’s Fern (Dryopteris goldiana) C of C = 7
Goldie’ (Dryopteris goldiana)

54. Spinulose Wood Fern (Dryopteris carthusiana)
C of C = 5

55. Crested Fern
(Dryopteris cristata)
C of C = 8

56. Royal Fern
(Osmunda regalis)
C of C = 7

57. Photo by Dr. Bob Klips
Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea)
(Osmunda cinnamomea)
C of C = 6

58. Bryophytes

59. Photo by Mike Graziano
Four-toed Salamander
(Hemidactylium scutatum ) and eggs

60. Tree Moss
(Climacium americanum)

61. Purple-fringed Riccia
(Ricciocarpus natans)

62. Development of Level I analysis tool to estimate
wetland condition.
Identification of “high quality” vernal pools.
“high quality”
Field testing using Level II (ORAM) and Level
III (VIBI and AmphIBI) procedures to validate
AmphIBI)
GIS model.
Creation of a statewide potential vernal pool
restoration GIS layer.

64. Predicted “High Quality” Vernal Pool Locations
Quality”

65. 2009 Wetland Monitoring Locations

66. • VIBI: 70% (7/10) scored as Category 3
• AmphIBI: 100% (11/11) scored as Category 3
Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum ) egg masses

67. Morris Woods State Nature Preserve (Licking County)

68. Potential Vernal Pool Restoration Sites
http://wwwapp.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/gis/vernal/
http://wwwapp.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/gis/vernal/

69. Thank
You!