Vernal ponds dry up during the hot summer months. Vernal ponds have their own special animals and plants that come to life when the pond is full of water. When the water dries up, some plants and animals become 'dormant'. The tiny plants and the animals form protective coverings or burrow into the drying mud. They hibernate or go into a suspended-life state until the pond fills with water again.
Larger plants produce seeds within a few weeks.
These plants then die leaving their seeds to germinate during the next wet season. A few plant species die back to their roots much as land plants during the winter.