Ponds, Pools and Puddles

Ponds and pools are a common feature of our landscape—there are at least ten times as many ponds as lakes in the UK—and they are also important wildlife habitats. This book provides a comprehensive and detailed account of these freshwater habitats, exploring what ponds, pools and puddles are, how they differ from rivers and lakes, their origins both natural and man-made, and the different types of ponds and their abundance and distribution in Britain.

The authors examine ponds as ancient natural habitats that have existed for millennia, comparing ancient pond communities preserved in inter- and post-glacial sediments with modern communities. They cover the physical and chemical environment of ponds in detail, including aspects such as size, shape and depth, hydrology, oxygen and temperature. Ponds are revealed to be as rich in species as rivers, supporting rare and uncommon taxa including about half of Britain's Red Data Book wetland plant and animal species. Comprehensive chapters survey the variety of plant and animal life for which ponds are a habitat—from plants and invertebrates to amphibians, fish, birds and mammals—discussing the importance of ponds to each group and the ways in which these organisms exploit their habitat.

Further chapters explore the pond ecosystem, colonisation and succession, before a final chapter devoted to conservation and how best to protect and manage ponds and pond wildlife in Britain today. In spite of their evident importance, ponds have been largely ignored by freshwater biologists during this century. This book makes an invaluable contribution to raising awareness of these popular yet frequently underrated freshwater habitats, giving them the attention they rightly deserve.