Document Type

Research

Keywords

ephemeral pools, habitat restoration, chorus frog, spring peeper, eroded berms, de-ditching, volunteer stewardship network

Abstract

Almost all land in the eastern United States that has been acquired to preserve nature was once in agricultural usage, and because of this, alterations of ephemeral pool hydrology are common in forest preserves and parks. These ephemeral pools are an important breeding resource for many amphibian species. We hypothesized that filling drainage ditches and recreating a more natural topography at eroded berms would enhance amphibian populations in the forest preserve. Restoration of the hydrology was begun by volunteers in 1993 and was associated with management to reduce non-native woody vegetation. Three ephemeral pools have had maximum water levels raised by as much as 10 cm. Assays of advertisement call activity suggest that raising the water level has increased the abundance of frogs at the revitalized pools.

Publication Date

September-December 2000

Journal Title

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

107

Issue

3-4

First Page

187

Last Page

190

Copyright

Language

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Nyberg, Denins and Lerner, Irene (2000) "Revitalization of Ephemeral Pools as Frog Breeding Habitat in an Illinois Forest Preserve," Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS, 107(3-4), 187-190.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/jias/vol107/iss3/23

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Revitalization of Ephemeral Pools as Frog Breeding Habitat in an Illinois Forest Preserve

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