link.springer.com

The ecology of European ponds: defining the characteristics of a neglected freshwater habitat - Hydrobiologia

  • ️Declerck, S.
  • ️Tue Dec 25 2007

Abstract

There is growing awareness in Europe of the importance of ponds, and increasing understanding of the contribution they make to aquatic biodiversity and catchment functions. Collectively, they support considerably more species, and specifically more scarce species, than other freshwater waterbody types. Ponds create links (or stepping stones) between existing aquatic habitats, but also provide ecosystem services such as nutrient interception, hydrological regulation, etc. In addition, ponds are powerful model systems for studies in ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation biology, and can be used as sentinel systems in the monitoring of global change. Ponds have begun to receive greater protection, particularly in the Mediterranean regions of Europe, as a result of the identification of Mediterranean temporary ponds as a priority in the EU Habitats Directive. Despite this, they remain excluded from the provisions of the Water Framework Directive, even though this is intended to ensure the good status of all waters. There is now a need to strengthen, develop and coordinate existing initiatives, and to build a common framework in order to establish a sound scientific and practical basis for pond conservation in Europe. The articles presented in this issue are intended to explore scientific problems to be solved in order to increase the understanding and the protection of ponds, to highlight those aspects of pond ecology that are relevant to freshwater science, and to bring out research areas which are likely to prove fruitful for further investigation.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Angélibert, S., N. Indermuehle, D. Luchier, B. Oertli & J. Perfetta, J. 2007. Where hides the aquatic biodiversity in the Canton of Geneva (Switzerland)? Archives des Sciences (in press).

  • Becerra Jurado, G., M. Masterson, R. Harrington & M. Kelly-Quinn, 2007. Evaluation of sampling methods for macroinvertebrate biodiversity estimation in heavily vegetated ponds. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9217-8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biggs, J., P. Williams, P. Whitfield, P. Nicolet & A. Weatherby, 2005. 15 years of pond assessment in Britain: results and lessons learned from the work of Pond Conservation. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 15: 693–714.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaustein, L. & S. S. Schwartz, 2001. Why study ecology in temporary pools? Israel Journal of Zoology 47: 303–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boix, D., S. Gascón, J. Sala, A. Badosa, S. Brucet, R. López-Flores, M. Martinoy, J. Gifre & X. D. Quintana, 2007. Patterns of composition and species richness of crustaceans and aquatic insects along environmental gradients in mediterraean water bodies. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9221-z.

    Google Scholar 

  • Céréghino, R., A. Ruggiero, P. Marty & S. Angélibert, 2007. Biodiversity and distribution patterns of freshwater invertebrates in farm ponds of a southwestern French agricultural landscape. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9219-6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chase, J. M. & W. A. Ryberg, 2004. Connectivity, scale-dependence, and the productivity–diversity relationship. Ecology Letters 7: 676–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copp, G. H., S. Warrington & K. J. Wesley, 2007. Management of an ornamental pond as a conservation site for a threatened native fish species, crucian carp Carassius carassius. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9220-0.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies, B. R., J. Biggs, P. J. Williams, J. T. Lee & S. Thompson, 2007. A Comparison of the catchment sizes of rivers, streams, ponds, ditches and lakes: implications for protecting aquatic biodiversity in an agricultural landscape. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9227-6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies, B. R., 2005. Developing a Strategic Approach to the Protection of Aquatic Biodiversity. PhD thesis, Oxford Brookes University.

  • De Bie, T., S. Declerck, K. Martens, L. De Meester & L. Brendonck, 2007. A comparative analysis of cladoceran communities from different water body types: patterns in community composition and diversity. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9222-y.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Meester, L., S. Declerck, R. Stoks, G. Louette, F. Van de Meutter, T. De Bie, E. Michels & L. Brendonck, 2005. Ponds and pools as model systems in conservation biology, ecology and evolutionary biology. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 15: 715–726.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Declerck, S., T. De Bie, D. Ercken, H. Hampel, S. Schrijvers, J. Van Wichelen, V. Gillard, R. Mandiki, B. Losson, D. Bauwens, S. Keijers, W. Vyverman, B. Goddeeris, L. De Meester, L. Brendonck & K. Martens, 2006. Ecological characteristics of small ponds: associations with land-use practices at different spatial scales. Biological Conservation 131: 523–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Della Bella, V., M. Bazzanti, M. G. Dowgiallo & M. Iberite, 2007. Macrophyte diversity and physico-chemical characteristics of Tyrrhenian coast ponds in central Italy: implications for conservation. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9216-9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gascón, S., D. Boix, J. Sala & D. Quintana, 2007. Relation between macroinvertebrate life strategies and habitat traits in Mediterranean salt marsh ponds (Empordà wetlands, NE Iberian Peninsula). Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9215-x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeffries, M., 2005. Local-scale turnover of pond insects: intra-pond habitat quality and inter-pond geometry are both important. Hydrobiologia 543: 207–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McAbendroth, L., A. Foggo, S. D. Rundle & D. T. Bilton, 2005. Unravelling nestedness and spatial pattern in pond assemblages. Journal of Animal Ecology 74: 41–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menetrey, N., B. Oertli, M. Sartori, A. Wagner & J. B. Lachavanne, 2007. Eutrophication: are mayflies (Ephemeroptera) good bioindicators for ponds? Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9223-x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oertli B., D. Auderset Joye, E. Castella, R. Juge, D. Cambin & J. B. Lachavanne, 2002. Does size matter? The relationship between pond area and biodiversity. Biological Conservation 104: 59–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oertli, B., J. Biggs, R. Céréghino, P. Grillas, P. Joly & J. B. Lachavanne, 2005. Conservation and monitoring of pond biodiversity: introduction. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 15: 535–540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oertli, B., N. Indermuehle, S. Angélibert, H. Hinden & A. Stoll, 2007. Macroinvertebrate assemblages in 25 high alpine ponds of the Swiss National Park (Cirque of Macun) and relation to environmental variables. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9218-7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pyke, C. R., 2005. Assessing suitability for conservation action: prioritizing interpond linkages for the California tiger salamander. Conservation Biology 19: 492–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheffer, M., G. J. van Geest, K. Zimmer, E. Jeppesen, M. Sondergaard, M. G. Butler, M. A. Hanson, S. Declerck & L. De Meester, 2006. Small habitat size and isolation can promote species richness: second-order effects on biodiversity in shallow lakes and ponds. Oikos 112: 227–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solimini, A. G., M. Bazzanti, A. Ruggiero & G. Carchini, 2007. Developing a multimetric index of ecological integrity based on macroinvertebrates of mountain ponds in central Italy. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9226-7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sondergaard, M., E. Jeppesen & J. P. Jensen, 2005. Pond or lake: does it make any difference? Archiv fur Hydrobiologie 162: 143–165.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Warren, P. H. & M. Spencer, 1996. Community and food-web responses to the manipulation of energy input and disturbance in small ponds. Oikos 75: 407–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P., M. Whitfield & J. Biggs, 2007. How can we make new ponds biodiverse?—a case study monitored over 8 years. Hydrobiologia doi:10.1007/s10750-007-9224-9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P., J. Biggs, M. Whitfield, A. Thorne, S. Bryant, G. Fox & P. Nicolet, 1999. The Pond Book: A Guide to the Management and Creation of Ponds. Ponds Conservation Trust, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P., M. Whitfield, J. Biggs, S. Bray, G. Fox, P. Nicolet & D. Sear, 2004. Comparative biodiversity of rivers, streams, ditches and ponds in an agricultural landscape in Southern England. Biological Conservation 115: 329–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the sponsors of the second European Pond Workshop (CNRS, University Paul Sabatier, Laboratoire d’Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes, Région Midi-Pyrénées, Conseil Général de la Haute-Garonne, French Water Agency).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. EcoLab, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle, UMR 5245, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse cedex 9, France

    R. Céréghino

  2. Pond Conservation: The Water Habitats Trust, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK

    J. Biggs

  3. Department of Nature Management, University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland – EIL, 1254, Jussy-Geneva, Switzerland

    B. Oertli

  4. Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    S. Declerck

Authors

  1. R. Céréghino

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Biggs

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. Oertli

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. Declerck

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Céréghino.

Additional information

Guest editors: R. Céréghino, J. Biggs, B. Oertli and S. Declerck

The ecology of European ponds: defining the characteristics of a neglected freshwater habitat

About this article

Cite this article

Céréghino, R., Biggs, J., Oertli, B. et al. The ecology of European ponds: defining the characteristics of a neglected freshwater habitat. Hydrobiologia 597, 1–6 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9225-8

Download citation

  • Published: 25 December 2007

  • Issue Date: February 2008

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-007-9225-8

Keywords