Ecology and conservation status of temporary and fluctuating ponds in two areas of southern England

Abstract

ABSTRACT1. A high proportion of ponds are temporary in nature, although the biodiversity value of such sites is still poorly recognized. This work explores the plant and macroinvertebrate communities of 76 temporary and fluctuating water bodies in two regions of southern England (Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall and New Forest, Hampshire) that have retained high pond densities. The ecology and conservation status of sites is examined, and comparisons made with ponds elsewhere in England and Wales.2. Lizard and New Forest ponds supported 119 plant and 165 macroinvertebrate species respectively. Patterns of community similarity for plants and macroinvertebrates were highly concordant, taxa being related in a similar manner to measured environmental variables including pond area, depth, pH and water chemistry.3. Patterns of pond occupancy revealed that most species were locally rare, over half occurring in less than 10% of ponds, and less than 10% being recorded from more than 50% of sites. More than 50% of ponds supported at least one nationally rare plant and almost 75% at least one nationally rare macroinvertebrate. These taxa occupied a wide range of pond types in each region, and did not have predictably different ecologies from common species.4. Comparisons with ponds elsewhere in England and Wales revealed that Lizard and New Forest communities are nationally distinct, being most similar to ponds in areas of low intensity agriculture elsewhere in western Britain. Individual ponds in both regions supported more nationally rare taxa, on average, than ponds sampled in the national survey.5. Ponds in the two areas have high conservation value, both regionally and nationally, supporting almost 75% of the global species richness of temporary ponds sampled across England and Wales. Within each region, many taxa are found in relatively few sites, and effective conservation of pond biodiversity will require a regional management approach.

Ecological Drivers of Cladoceran Diversity in the Central European City (Łódź, Poland): Effects of Urbanisation and Size of the Waterbody

“…There has been an increasing volume of published research on perennial and ephemeral pond biodiversity (Oertli et al, 2009) in both northern (Jeffries, 1991;Boothby et al, 1995a;Guest, 1997;Jeffries, 2011;Hassall et al, 2012) and southern UK (Rundle et al, 2002;Williams et al, 2003;Bilton et al, 2009;Armitage et al, 2012;Sayer et al, 2012 (Lott, 1999, unpublished data). At least one Red Data Book species was recorded from 26 of the 30 pond sites.…”

“…At least one nationally rare macroinvertebrate species was recorded from 75% of ephemeral ponds in the New Forest and Lizard Peninsula, UK, which were dominated by Chironomidae and Coleoptera (Bilton et al, 2009). This included Agabus labiatus which can utilise the specialist environment as it has a short larval stage and can survive the dry phase in in situ (Bilton et al, 2009). In the same ponds in the New Forest and Lizard Peninsula, a total of 68 species of Coleoptera were recorded, 24 of which were of conservation interest (Gutierrez-Estrada and Bilton, 2010).…”

“…Physicochemistry (Nicolet et al, 2004;Bilton et al, 2009;Gutierrez-Estrada and Bilton, 2010), substratum preferences (Fairchild et al, 2003) and pond area (Spencer et al, 1999;Kiflawi et al, 2003;Studinski and Grubbs, 2007) (Brönmark and Hansson, 2005: 60). Invertebrate (Coleoptera, Notonectidae) and amphibian predation can be an important aspect regulating fishless ephemeral pond communities (Larson, 1990;Herwig and Schindler, 1996;Jeffries, 1996;Schnieder and Frost, 1996;Blaustein 1998;Bilton et al, 2001;Brendonck et al, 2002).…”

“…Despite the demanding and harsh physicochemical environment (as a result of periodic drying) ephemeral ponds have been demonstrated to be important habitats for freshwater fauna with a range of macroinvertebrate taxa adapted to and able to exploit ephemeral pond habitats (Bazzanti et al, 2010). Ephemeral ponds can support a high taxon richness of rare and endemic species (Boix et al, 2001;Nicolet et al, 2004;Bilton et al, 2009;Díaz-Paniagua et al, 2010;Armitage et al, 2012) and in some cases support a greater number of rare taxa than perennial ponds (Collinson et al, 1995;Nicolet, 2001). However, ephemeral ponds often support a lower total macroinvertebrate richness and abundance than perennial ponds (Nicolet, 2001).…”

Assessment of richness estimation methods on macroinvertebrate communities of mountain ponds in Castilla y León (Spain)

“…This poses a serious threat to the biodiversity of systems which, in the case of ponds, are considered to support a high richness of organisms, particularly macroinvertebrates (Oertli et al, 2002;Williams et al, 2004), both on a local and regional basis (Toro et al, 2006). Nobody questions the need to preserve such systems and their diversity although only recently research programs have focused on them Oertli et al, 2005;Bilton et al, 2009). …”