Conservation corner: Spotted salamanders make debut at Munroe Falls Metro Park

Mike Johnson, Chief of Conservation

This week, Summit Metro Parks biologists are celebrating a huge success that actually began nearly 10 years ago with the acquisition of the Tallmadge Meadows Area of Munroe Falls Metro Park.

Crews work in 2009 to restore the site’s natural hydrology.

Because the land’s previous owners had constructed drainage ditches to dry this area out, we began working in 2009 to restore the natural features of the site. The park district’s operations, planning and conservation departments worked together to design and execute a construction project to bring back the area’s natural hydrology.

Thanks to this effort, a special type of wetland called a vernal pool can be viewed from the nearby trails today. But there’s even more good news to share…

A restored vernal pool now stands in the Tallmadge Meadows Area.

The park district’s ultimate goal was for this wetland to support as much biodiversity as possible. Ambystomatidae salamanders (like the well-known spotted salamander) are often considered the pinnacle species for vernal pools. Spotted salamanders live underground during most of the year and emerge only once annually to mate in vernal pool habitats. They are some of the more threatened vernal pool species, as they are not as mobile as frogs and toads and cannot adjust as quickly to loss of habitat (or to take advantage of new habitats). They are also more sensitive to pollution and the presence of fish, which eat their eggs and larvae.

Spotted salamander eggs are transplanted to the Tallmadge Meadows vernal pool.

So while we had created this wonderful vernal pool, there were no nearby sources from which spotted salamanders could migrate. From 2014 to 2016, park biologists collected egg masses from nearby parks and stocked them into our recently restored wetland. Knowing that it takes three to four years for newly hatched spotted salamanders to grow to adulthood and return to the vernal pool, we waited and monitored.

Summit Metro Parks biologists monitor the area for spotted salamanders.

With some hard work and a lot of patience, we are happy to announce that the project was a success! SMP biologists recently documented 15 young adult spotted salamanders in this area (two of which are shown in the first photo of this post). This project is a good reminder that with forethought, dedication and lot of wading through chilly waters, we can make a difference for species in need of our assistance.