Hydrology and Redox Potential in Several Southern New England Vernal Pools.

Vernal pools are typically considered temporary wetland environments thus the extent of hydric soil development within Southern New England vernal pools has been largely unstudied. Four vernal pools in different landscapes and soil parent materials located in Massachusetts and Connecticut were evaluated to determine how soil properties are affected by seasonal high water/inundation and landscape position. Transects were established within each vernal pool (summit, rim, basin) and detailed soil profile descriptions were obtained for each station. Reducing conditions were assessed by the installation of platinum tipped redox probes at 15, 25, and 45 cm. Monitoring wells were established to document the depth of free water and piezometers installed to document hydrologic regime. First year data have shown that two pools exhibit recharge hydrology and one pool has discharge hydrology. Redox measurements indicate that reducing conditions occur in all pools during part or all of the saturation period. All pools dry to no standing water for at least part of the growing season. Redox measurements range from non-reducing conditions at all depths at the summit stations, to highly reducing conditions at both rim and basin stations for all pools.