Thumbs up for pond life!
Dive into the world of the diving beetle ...
and discover the riches of life in our ponds
Great diving beetles may not look as appealing to us as some other species but they are
kings of their domain in the same way that lions are of theirs. We need all the species that make up an area of habitat or ecosystem as they all form part of the delicate balance that is life on Earth.
Whilst cuter, cuddlier looking creatures may be more
attention-grabbing, you will find many other forms of life on your doorstep
that are just as worthy of attention.
Pond life is a prime example of this – most of it remains
unseen but these unique ecosystems are teeming with life - all highly specialized to address the environmental challenges they face, and each having
its own niche within the ecosystem.
As we discovered on the Malvern Hills
Conservators’ Pond Life Day, exploring the life in local ponds can be
fascinating and fun for all ages. It was good to see grandparents and
grandchildren engaging with the event and learning what lies beneath the
surface of an ordinary pond.
Ecologist Nigel Hand led the event and his enthusiasm and
willingness to share his knowledge of this aquatic kingdom and its contents was
contagious. He soon found some curious creatures, which were gently scooped up
in a net and placed in bowls for us to have a closer look. The newts were
favourites, especially with the children, and even more so for one boy whose
face lit up when a newt wriggled and revealed its presence amidst the scoopful
of matter he netted from the pond.
This smooth or
common newt was a female of the species and joined the male and female found earlier.
Smooth newts - male in foreground with two females |
The newts and diving beetle were the largest creatures we
examined and with the late spring we were glad to find so many signs of life.
There was a mass of frog spawn
at the pond’s edge and a myriad of tiny creatures such as water
fleas that are a major food source for much aquatic life. Other creatures we
saw included pond snails, the backswimmer or
water boatman and a water louse.
Apart from the pond-dwellers themselves, ponds also attract
other wildlife such as herons which are voracious predators of pond inhabitants.
Ponds under threat
As with most natural habitat, there are threats facing ponds
and their native inhabitants, and, as is too often the case, human activity is
behind these threats.
A major threat is the invasion of non-native species such as the
pond weed we saw beginning to spread across the pond’s surface – this has
created an enormous challenge for conservationists as using any kind of
chemical to eliminate it would be polluting to the habitat. A weevil has been used
in some areas to consume the weed as it only eats this particular species, but
the weevil itself is not a native and introducing any species in the hope of
producing a particular outcome has very often backfired and unleashed
environmental havoc. In this case, it seems the weevil has a short life cycle
and where it has been used it appears not to impact on anything other than the
pond weed it is required to consume.
Some particular pond dwellers are under threat such as the Oxbow
diving beetle, whose numbers have declined by over 90% in recent decades
and it is now extinct in some regions.
Natural habitat for wildlife is disappearing rapidly everywhere and
this includes ponds. Such losses lead to further problems as areas of habitat
suitable for particular species become more fragmented preventing opportunities
for populations to grow and spread.
Ponds and you...
You can help by creating your own wildlife pond in your
garden but to help native wildlife you need to ensure you only include
native species. There is a wealth of information available to help with
creating, stocking and managing your own pond including on selecting
pond plants and advice on attracting
dragonflies.
Please make sure too that your pond is hedgehog-friendly by
including a ramp, which can simply be a slope covered with chicken wire that
allows hedgehogs to clamber out safely.
Be Plant
Wise and follow guidance on disposing of invasive aquatic plants and avoid
dumping them in the wild.
Please be careful when in contact with ponds to ensure you
don’t spread unwanted species or disease from one pond to another. Any nets,
boots and other gear used needs to be fully cleaned and disinfected and allowed
to dry before being used in another pond.
Ponds need protection -
·
from pollution
·
from disturbance
·
from intrusion of non-native species of plants
or animals
It is worth emphasising that this event was led by an
ecologist who has specialised knowledge of the habitat and is licensed to
handle great crested newts - it would be illegal for anyone else to.
It is inadvisable to go foraging in ponds without the
guidance of someone with similar expertise who can ensure that this delicate
ecosystem and its life-forms are not damaged in the process of exploring them.
More pond life...
Here are some links to sources of more information on pond
life:
Discover more about ponds with the Ponds & Newts Heritage Network Project
There are more
events being run by the Malvern Hills Conservators throughout the year,
including a reptile
safari led by ecologist Nigel Hand.
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https://twitter.com/NaturalHedgehog