BES Facebook pageDeveloping School Grounds for Science:PONDS
What is a pond?
Ponds are natural or man made water bodies between 1m2 and 2ha in area. They hold water for at least 4 months of the year although they do not have to hold water all year. (pond conservation group 1993)
Why are ponds important?
Even though ponds may be artificially made, ponds have been around commonly and continuously for millions of years, time enough for plants and animals to become very well adapted to them.
Ponds provide a unique biodiversity resource and support 2/3 of all UK freshwater species in some way or another but they also provide visual foci in landscapes are often rich in historical associations and today form part of modern communities.
Ponds often support more invertebrate species than rivers; they also support some of our rarest species.
In June 2007, ponds as a habitat were listed for the first time on the UK list of priority species and habitats. This means that ponds are now one of 65 UK habitats listed as priorities for conservation action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP).
The UK Biodiversity Action Plan
The UK Biodiversity Action Plan is the UK Government's response to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) signed in 1992, describing the UK's biological resources. It is charged with detailing an action plan for the protection of these resources.
