Vernal Equinox, Spring Green Up and Morels

At 5 PM I went to the Woods to see what yesterday's long heavy rainstorm had done. The Woods are transforming. The spring green that was earlier on the ground in the Lonicera honeysuckle and Stellaria bedstraw, is now suddenly spreading upward as Acer negundo box elder saplings 1 meter tall leaf out abundantly throughout the northwestern Woods understory.
The 4.1 inches of rain filled the West Pond up to 2.74 feet and floated the big northern log to lodge next to the water gauge post. The East Pond was filled to 3.2 feet.
East of the West Pond I startled a white-tail that ran ahead of me eastward on the path. Then at the East Pond I found Ana and Jelena excited with their success finding five fresh morels.
The Woods south by the Grandfather tree are flooded (no surprise) but water is draining through the dam at a good rate and the standing water may be gone in a day or two.
I was struck again with the question of what happens to all the soil fauna ants, millipedes, mites, isopods, microarthropods and other species living in the now submerged leaf litter. How many climbed trees to escape?
East of Tall Stump, the trail was drained with only isolated pools until near the Elm Bridge. The flow there was steady beneath the elm log. Southwest and southeast of the bridge I could see where water had moved in a broad sheet across the forest floor, sweeping away litter and leaving the bare soil.
East of the bridge, up on the escarpment, the Tree Loop was also transformed. There was a delightful combination of a solid carpet of fresh green bedstraw, chickweed, violets, henbit and other ephemerals.. paired with pink purple blooming redbuds in the sub canopy. Prettiest part of the Woods today. The past few days have pushed phenology along. The black hickory is opening large, prominent leaf buds and leafing out. Walnut leaf buds are opening. The bur oak has very small young leaves emerging. The mystery trees at the south end of the loop now look to be mulberry with very small new leaves and small green hanging flowers - that will become the deep purple or white fruit. Several of the younger 4-7 meter tall elms at the beginning of the trail, stressed or moribund from last summer, are now sprouting stem leaves, with no sign of life in the upper crown. The crane flies seem to have finished their earlier abundant hatch.. only a few here and there. A couple new beetles in the Lindgren trap. No turtles or other large life evident moving in the ponds. The new West Trail was under ankle deep water past 50 meters. The poison ivy has not yet begun to leaf out. It will be interesting to see how quickly this portion of the Woods west of the cattails drains.