Finn
A third of ponds are thought to have been lost from the UK in the last 50 years. While you may see ponds semi-regularly, especially in greens in the centre of idyllic rural villages, they used to be much more common, including around farmland. Around 10% of freshwater and wetland species in the UK are threatened with extinction, and 2/3 of species are in decline, as of 2021, highlighting the importance of providing freshwater habitat where possible.
What wildlife can a pond support?
Ponds support a variety of wildlife, ranging from mammals to plants:
- Amphibians, such as frogs, toads and newts, require the still water of ponds to lay their eggs, and newts will utilise water plants’ leaves to wrap up their eggs.
- There are also many invertebrates that can live in and around ponds, including water fleas, tiny shrimp-like insects that eat algae and vegetation in ponds, and dragonflies and damselflies, which hunt insects above water.
- While few mammals are associated with ponds, especially small ones, many can make use of them in some way: foxes and hedgehogs may visit to drink from the water, and bats may be attracted to flying insects around the pond.
- Similarly, garden birds may drink from or bathe in the water of ponds of any size, and a larger pond could attract water specialists: kingfishers may visit if fish are on offer. A range of plants can grow inside and on the edges of ponds, providing habitat and food for animals.
What does the best pond look like?
A pond can range from simple: a bucket in the ground filled with water, if space and/or money is a limiting factor, to complex: a large pond with a variety of plants and structures, but all ponds on this spectrum will have benefits to wildlife if created and looked after properly.
Two very important factors are shade and depth. A pond directly under a deciduous tree, for example, will not get much light for plants, and might end up filling up with leaves in winter, which can impact the wildlife inside. Some sunny spots can also provide a spot for reptiles to bath around the edge. Depth should vary, preferably with a deeper section (around 60cm, according to the charity FrogLife) that will provide shelter for animals to avoid extreme cold, as well as shallower areas, and a sloped entrance for wildlife of all kinds to move into and out of the pond.
Ponds should be colonised by plants over time, but some can be added to provide habitat for wildlife and oxygenation of the water. This can include submerged plants, such as hornwort (Ceratophyllum dermersum), floating plants, such as water soldier (Stratiotes aloides), and marginal plants around in shallow areas and along the margin, including yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus). These plants will provide shelter and food for both invertebrates, and amphibians. Invasives can be a big issue in pond ecosystems. For example, New Zealand pygmyweed (Crassula helmsii) can colonise ponds, shading out other species and possibly leading to deoxygenation of water. Any plants that are added to a pond should be researched to make sure they’re suitable.
Ponds don’t require much care, but in autumn, you may want to remove any leaves that might have fallen into the water. This is done during winter the fewest species will be impacted by the disturbance.
An additional feature for pond wildlife is a hibernaculum, which provides a place for amphibians to stay during the winter. This is basically a pile of rubble or logs, covered with soil or turf (see image below). Simpler version of this could just be log piles and rocks, which will provide shelter around the pond for amphibians (the dead wood can attract invertebrates for them to feed on too).
Garden ponds are a surprisingly simple wildlife habitat to create and can be home to a wide variety of wildlife. They can be positively buzzing with invertebrate life, which is important when considering the huge declines in invertebrates, globally and in UK, over the last century. On top of the many wildlife benefits provided, ponds can also be fun to build, watch, and maintain.
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