Conservation Research and Monitoring Update (Results!)

by Tim Duclos, Conservation Manager

As you have no doubt read in many editions of the Ridgeline over the past several years, Merck Forest has established a variety of new monitoring efforts to assess the health of ecosystems spanning the property- from that of our forests and old field habitats, to those of rivers, ponds, and components of the farm. This work is important for on-property conservation planning and contributes vital data to greater regional monitoring efforts. Well, we have updates from two of our studies, which I am eager to share.

Vernal Pool Monitoring: Wood frog emergence advances 2 weeks over a 3-year period

Merck Forest hosts many vernal pools, each of which is visited each spring to document the existence of breeding vernal pool amphibians. We have been monitoring one pool in particular for the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) Vernal Pool Monitoring Program (VPMons). Using an audio recorder provided by VCE, and from analysis of these recordings completed by VCE staff, vocalizations from emerging wood frogs have been detected progressively earlier at this pool, to the tune of 2 weeks earlier, over the past 3 years of monitoring. From analysis of data conducted by VCE, we can share that the first detections of wood frogs at this location have occurred on:

2019: 4/12

2020: 4/4

2021: 3/29

With heavy rains and above freezing conditions observed on 3/20/2022, major amphibian activity (a so-called ‘big night’) was recorded locally; it is suspected that wood frog emergence may have occurred at MFFC on 3/20/22 and, if confirmed, would represent yet another week of advancement in emergence date. After analysis of audio data this fall, we will know for sure.

With a rapidly changing climate, it is a concern that springtime conditions will advance earlier and earlier. One threat is the disruption caused by sudden shifts in temperature that can trigger amphibians to emerge from hibernation only to become trapped in a sudden return to harsh winter conditions above ground. This is one reason why studies, like this one, are working to monitor for this very change in locations spanning the state.

As of 2018, only one occurrence of a vernal pool species was recorded for the property; an anecdotal record of a Jefferson salamander, discovered populations of the spotted salamander, as well as the Jefferson salamander (see image 4 below). This means that MFFC hosts 3 of the 4 vernal pool obligate species known to Vermont; only the blue-spotted salamander remains undetected- a species that is largely isolated to the Champlain Basin.

An interesting element to all of this, is the fact that many of these pools originate from fire suppression ponds dug throughout the forest in the earliest days of MFFC. This represents yet another case of the ways in which past land-use now affects current biodiversitythus evidencing the complex relationship that plays out over time relating past resource management efforts to current conditions.

As we gain more information on the location of vernal pools and their use by amphibians, MFFC is poised to expand its data collection and monitoring program to deploy instruments at more pools across the property. Ultimately, these monitoring efforts directly inform conservation planning at MFFC and offer key data to greater regional monitoring efforts.

For more information on the Vermont Center for Ecostudies’ Vernal Pool Monitoring Program, visit: vtecostudies.org/projects/forests/vernal-pool-conservation/

To explore some of the observations of vernal pool amphibians at MFFC, visit: www.inaturalist.org/projects/merck-forest-biodiversity-project

Woodland Bees: Over 900 findings of woodland bees detected across Merck Forest, revealing startling biodiversity of over 56 species and many yet to be identified

In partnership with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies’ Vermont Wild Bee Survey and Vermont Atlas of Life project, Merck Forest has contributed information to the scientific community on the existence of woodland bees throughout the property. From field surveys conducted in spring of 2020 and 2021, at 14 locations spanning the nearly 3100-acre forested property, this study gathered previously unknown information on the diversity and distribution of various woodland bees targeting spring wildflowers in mesic red oak northern hardwoods and wildlife clearings (old fields). Over 56 species of bee were identified from specimens and many more are yet to be fully identified.

Little is known regarding woodland bee diversity- yet we know that pollinators are in major decline and that woodland bees are important pollinators of wildflowers within forests. Moreover, this study will allow us to assess changes in the bee community over time; changes due to climate change and/or resource management efforts. Importantly, like all data collected at MFFC, the findings and methods from this study have been published online in a research database and thus are permanently archived and will remain freely available to anyone wishing to use these data for research- this is foundational to openaccess science standards. In fact, you can see the results of this study online, including an interactive map of study and photos from the field, at the following address: www.gbif.org/dataset/d6a5709f-1de0-4963-b9f9-a882026a968c

We thank the Vermont Center for Ecostudies for providing the requisite funding, equipment, and lab and staff time for data curation, analysis and publication- without this support, this work could not have happened. Check out the awesome work of VCE on their website: vtecostudies.org

To learn more about the VCE’s Vermont Atlas of Life Project visit: val.vtecostudies.org/