Wild Things in Your Woodlands

摘要

In late March or early April, as longer days and warmer weather beckon you to step out into the woods, you may notice shallow pools of water. Lured by the quacking and clucking sounds of wood frogs (Lithobates sylvatica) calling out to potential matesas they float on the water, or the loud calls of spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) camouflaged at the water's edge, you can't help but notice that spring has arrived. For many, woodland pools appear to be insignificant wet places in the forest, but they are actually a source of incredible abundance and diversity, and are important components of the forest ecosystem. Serving as breeding habitat for amphibian and invertebrate species, and feeding habitat for many others, they are so abundant with life that some have likened them to the 'coral reefs of the forest.'