Pond conservation: towards a delineation of pondscape

Boothby, John

doi:10.1002/(sici)1099-0755(199706)7:2<127::aid-aqc224>3.3.co;2-y

Cited by 11 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…However, assemblage composition may change with an increase in surface area, and this suggests that in order to promote biodiversity at the city scale (gamma diversity), it is important to have a diversity of pond sizes. The pondscape approach (Boothby , Hill ) is particularly relevant here, and there is a need to diversify pond sizes within a pond network. Larger ponds are relatively rare in some cities (McKinney and Charpentier ) where it is therefore important to promote their creation to restore the range of pond surface area in the landscape.…”

Section: Impact Of Urbanization On the Biodiversity Of Urban Ponds Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Toward management of urban ponds for freshwater biodiversity

2019

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Many cities around the world are expanding and this trend in urbanization is expected to sharply increase over coming decades. At the same time, the integration of green and blue spaces is widely promoted in urban development, potentially offering numerous benefits for biodiversity. This is particularly relevant for urban waterbodies, a type of ecosystem present in most cities. However, site managers often lack the knowledge base to promote biodiversity in these waterbodies, which are generally created to provide other ecosystem services. To address this, our review presents guidelines for promoting biodiversity in urban ponds. We found a total of 516 publications indexed in ISI Web of Sciences related to this topic, of which 279 were retained for the purposes of our review. The biodiversity of urban ponds, measured by species richness, appears to be generally lower than in rural ponds; however, urban ponds often support threatened species. Furthermore, if well managed, urban ponds have the potential to support a much greater biodiversity than they currently do. Indeed, this review shows that a range of urban factors can impair or promote pond biodiversity, including many that can easily be controlled by site managers. Local factors include design (surface area, pond depth, banks and margins, shade, shoreline irregularity), water quality (conductivity, nutrients, heavy metals), and hydroperiod and biotic characteristics (stands of vegetation, fish, invasive species). Important regional factors include several indicators of urbanization (roads, buildings, density of population, impervious surfaces, car traffic), and the presence of other wetlands or green spaces in the surrounding landscape. We considered each of these factors and their potential impact on freshwater biodiversity. Taking into account the management measures listed in the publications reviewed, we have proposed a framework for the management of urban ponds, with guidelines to promote biodiversity and other ecosystem services, and to avoid ecosystem disservices or the creation of ecological traps. At the city scale, the biodiversity of a pondscape benefits from a high diversity of pond types, differing in their environmental characteristics and management.

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Section: Impact Of Urbanization On the Biodiversity Of Urban Ponds Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Toward management of urban ponds for freshwater biodiversity

2019

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“…77 Ponds constitute a network of distributed, discrete habitat patches sometimes referred to as the 'pondscape'. 78 This network can function in two ways depending on the focal species. For amphibians, for example, ponds can function as 'stepping stones' across a matrix of inhospitable terrain 79 where individual ponds might be unsuitable for breeding but are vital temporary habitats during onward dispersal across the terrestrial matrix.…”

Section: Ecological Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ecology and biodiversity of urban ponds

2014

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Recent research has demonstrated that ponds contribute a great deal to biodiversity at a regional level as networks of habitat patches that also act as -stepping stones‖ to facilitate the movement of species through the landscape. Similarly, a great deal of biodiversity persists in urban environments where synanthropic communities are supplemented by species that thrive in disturbed environments. Aquatic urban biodiversity appears to persist despite anthropogenic stressors: an array of anthropogenic pollutants (road salt, heavy metals), invasive species, and active mismanagementparticularly the removal of riparian vegetation. Optimising urban ponds for different ecosystem services results in conflicting priorities over hydrological, geochemical, ecological, aesthetic and cultural functions. The socio-ecosystem approach to environmental management opens a path to greater incorporation of biodiversity into town planning and sustainability, while acco cultural attitudes to urban ecosystems. I identify a range of research needs: (i) the roles of design and location of urban ponds in influencing biodiversity, (ii) the function of urban wetlands for stormwater and pollution management, and (iii) public perceptions of urban ecosystems and how those perceptions are influenced by interactions with natural systems. Urban wetlands offer an important opportunity to educate the general public on natural systems and science in general using a resource that is located on their doorstep. In the face of increasing pressures on natural systems and increasing extent and intensity of urbanisation, a more comprehensive appreciation of the challenges and opportunities provided by urban ponds could play a substantial role in driving sustainable urban development.

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“…Equally, connectivity to small ponds is also important since these are more likely to be fishless and serve as important reservoirs of aquatic invertebrates, amphibians and macrophytes (Oertli et al 2002 ; Sondergaard et al 2005 ; Scheffer et al 2006 ). The overall spatial configuration and topology of the pond network (locations and distances between habitats) is thus a key consideration for freshwater biodiversity conservation (Biggs et al 1994 ; Boothby 1997 ; Lundkvist et al 2002 ; Jeffries 2005 ) and questions remain as to how the loss of ponds affects the metacommunity structure of the wider network. Through spatial analyses such as graph theory (Harary 1969 ), it is possible to determine the extent to which pond loss has fragmented the pond network, threatening species metapopulations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The application of graph theory and percolation analysis for assessing change in the spatial configuration of pond networks

et al. 2017

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Pond networks support high levels of biodiversity when compared to other freshwater ecosystems such as rivers, lakes and streams. The persistence of species in these small, sometimes ephemeral, aquatic habitats depends on the dispersal of individuals among ponds in the landscape. However, the number of ponds across the landscape is at a historical low as urbanisation and intensified agricultural practices have led to a substantial loss of ponds (nodes in the pond network) over more than a century. Here, we examine the extent and drivers of pond loss in a heavily urbanised landscape (Birmingham, UK) over 105 years and determine how pond loss influences key structural properties of the pond network using graph theoretic approaches. Specifically, we calculated minimum spanning trees (MST) and performed percolation analyses to determine changes in both the spatial configuration and resilience of the pond network through time. Pond numbers declined by 82% between ca1904 and 2009, such that pond density decreased from 7.1 km -2 to 1.3 km -2 . The MST analyses revealed increased distance between ponds in the network (i.e. edge length increased) by up to 49% over the 105-year period, indicating that ponds in the modern landscape (2009) were considerably more isolated, with fewer neighbours. This study demonstrates that graph theory has an excellent potential to inform the management of pond networks in order to support ecological communities that are less vulnerable to environmental change.

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Pond conservation: towards a delineation of pondscape

Cited by 11 publications

References 2 publications

Review: Toward management of urban ponds for freshwater biodiversity

Review: Toward management of urban ponds for freshwater biodiversity

The ecology and biodiversity of urban ponds

The application of graph theory and percolation analysis for assessing change in the spatial configuration of pond networks

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