vernal pool

American  

[vur-nuhl pool] / ˈvɜr nəl ˈpul /

noun

1. Ecology. a seasonal wetland habitat; a temporary shallow body of water especially significant as a breeding ground for certain amphibians and invertebrates.

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vernal pool Scientific  

1. A seasonal body of standing water that typically forms in the spring from melting snow and other runoff, dries out completely in the hotter months of summer, and often refills in the autumn. Vernal pools range from broad, heavily vegetated lowland bodies to smaller, isolated upland bodies with little permanent vegetation. They are free of fish and provide important breeding habitat for many terrestrial or semiaquatic species such as frogs, salamanders, and turtles.

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Example Sentences

Inside a vault at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles lies a microscopic population of immense value—the repository for vernal pool fairy shrimp.

From Scientific American • May 5, 2023

They hop out of the leaf litter and toward a vernal pool, usually the one where they first hatched, to find a mate.

From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2022

On each side of the road was a vernal pool.

From New York Times • May 18, 2020

“I like to think of the annual vernal pool cycle as a breathing cycle,” Mr. LeClair said.

From New York Times • May 18, 2020