Surveying Ponds
Ponds are often much loved and enjoyed by local people especially in villages and small towns. However, over the past 50 years many of these small water bodies have disappeared at an alarming rate through infilling, drainage or neglect.
It is more important than ever that we map the distribution and general health of those that remain so that appropriate management and maintenance measures can be put in place to preserve the wonderful wild creatures that live in and around them. Ponds can contain a surprising variety of native wildlife and surveying them can be great fun.
So, pull on your wellies and get prepared to enter the wonder world of wetland wildlife!
Why are ponds so special…?
In 1890 thre were approximately 1,250,000 ponds in Britain, today only around 400,000 remain. Over 65% of all Britain’s freshwater species live in ponds. This is more than live in lakes or rivers. Ponds therefore contain exceptional numbers of rare or threatened species – 82 Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species can be found in ponds.
Up until now many ponds have not had the protection they perhaps deserve, but in 2007 the UK Biodiversity Action Plan gave ponds ‘Priority Habitat’ status.
See
www.ukbap.org.uk for details or visit
www.norfolkbiodiversity.org/actionplans to view Norfolk’s pond Habitat Action Plan.
Aiming for a million…
The Million Ponds Project has an aim of creating a countrywide network of new ponds. Ultimately the goal is to encourage individuals and community groups to help reverse a century of pond loss and ensure the UK has over one million countryside ponds one again.
A critical element of the project is that these new ponds will have clean water. This is important because most countryside ponds are now badly damaged by pollution, and evidence shows that pond wildlife is declining across the UK. Making new clean ponds is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect freshwater wildlife.
Find more information on this project by visiting their website
www.pondconservation.org.uk/millionponds
Watch out for aliens!
Invasive non-native plants and animals have serious impacts. They can reduce biodiversity, negatively impact upon the economy, increase the risk of flooding and even threaten our health! In response to the threats posed by these species, the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership launched their Norfolk Non-native Species Initiative to promote the eradication and control of invasive non-native species already established in the county, and to prevent the introduction of further species. For more information, visit their website at www.norfolkbiodiversity.org
A major hurdle for the Initiative to overcome is the lack of available information on the distribution of non-native species in Norfolk. This makes it difficult to develop meaningful management plans. If you suspect your ponds have been invaded by alien plant species but are uncertain of identification, take a photograph of the plant and send it to Norfolk Wildlife Trust at
wild@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk
Why not start a simple survey today?
The first thing you need to do is to select a suitable are for your survey. Scrutiny of a 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey map will help you determine the location of the ponds that can be surveyed. Using aerial photography, such as that available on the internet, will also aid with location of ponds in your selected area.
Once you have mapped all the target ponds in your survey area you should give each one a unique reference number to enable them to be clearly identified by surveyors and on the survey forms. Remember you will need to gain permission from the pond owner before surveying it.
Share the load
If your research indicates that there are a large number of ponds in your target area it will be advantageous to galvanise the local community into assisting with surveying. In these circumstances the following points may need to be considered:
Coordination: Appoint a coordinator who will distribute guidance, allocate tasks and log the results.
Publicity: Publicise your project in the parish magazine, place posters on local notice boards, shops and community areas.
Training: Consider running a training day for volunteers where the project can be explained, ideas exchanged and health and safety issues explored.
Landowners: Identify and contact landowners to obtain permission to undertake surveys and/or to ask whether they would be interested to participate directly.
Community Groups: Contact local groups such as walking/nature groups, scouts/guides and the Women’s Institute to recruit volunteers.
Safety first
It is very important that you take care around water. Follow these guidelines:
- Always let somebody know where you are going and when you are expected back
- Take a mobile phone with you
- If children are taking part in the survey ensure they are supervised at all times
- Never wade into ponds or lean too far over their edge
- Always wear appropriate clothing especially stout footwear with a good tread
- Always be aware of dangers when visiting farmland or industrial sites
Leptospirosis and Weil’s Disease
Beware of the risk of contracting Leptospirosis, known as Weil’s disease in humans, which is a bacterial infection which may be present in stagnant or still water. The bacteria enters through skin abrasions or via eyes, nose or mouth. Weil’s disease is a serious illness and must be swiftly diagnosed and treated. Some sensible precautions:
- Cover all cuts and abrasions with waterproof plasters
- Wash hands thoroughly after coming into contact with pond water or better still carry an alcohol-based cleaning gel with you to use in the field
- If in doubt contact your doctor without delay
Need some inspiration?
Discover just some of the pond surveys people have been carrying out in Norfolk.
Would you like to tell us about your pond survey? Click here.
Download pond survey forms here.
Pond Survey Form (survey form t)
Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
Microsoft Word document
PDF
Please remember to send your completed survey forms to Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service – make your records count!
Address:
Norfolk Biodiversity Information Service
Planning and Transportation Department
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
Norfolk
NR1 2SG
Email: nbis@norfolk.gov.uk
Take a dip!
Pond Conservation is very keen to encourage people to investigate their local ponds to discover what is living in them and thereby assess their general health. It has developed a simple survey form which can be completed on-line to provide a snapshot of the health of garden, school or village ponds. This information will be used to develop better guidance for location and construction of ponds to make them more suitable for wildlife.
Don’t get in a whirl over whirligigs…
Hop to it…
Would you like to learn more about amphibians, pond management or have a go at water plant identification? Check out our
event section for further information of wildlife workshops for adults.
For all your pond surveying needs…
You may find the following books, dvds, cds and equipment helpful when carrying out a pond survey:
Get the low down on Norfolk ponds and its wildlife
Related questions
Surveying ponds – How do I find out whether my local ponds are healthy?
Use pond surveying form t
Surveying ponds will help you determine several factors which indicate their health, including:
- Pollutants: ponds close to intensely farmed areas or close to industrial areas may suffer from high levels of pollutants.
- Silt: deep silt layers can indicate high levels of nutrients which encourage algae, and can create toxic gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.
- Disturbance: ponds in urban areas may be subject to excess disturbance from dogs, littering, or even introduction of alien plants and wildlife. All of these will affect the ability of native plants and animals to thrive.
- Maintenance: if the pond and surrounding area has been well maintained it is likely to be in better health than those ponds that have been neglected.
- Age: newly dug or dredged ponds will be relatively poor in terms of diversity, but may still have great potential if managed well.
- Location: ponds in open, sunny situations may fare better than ponds that have become over shadowed by trees and scrub. Shading can prevent aquatic plants from growing and stops sunlight warming the water. However, even if ponds are located in woodland they can be very good for wildlife as the provide greater habitat diversity.
- Water source: ponds fed by natural springs or by rainwater will be healthier than those that are susceptible to run off from less clean sources such as highways. However, ponds fed by springs or dependent upon rainwater may be subject to periodic drying out.
- Surrounding habitat: good wildlife habitats adjacent to the pond will provide winter refuges for pond life and provides an effective barrier against pollution.
This information - together with observations of the extent of plant growth both below (and on) the surface of the water and the presence of key indicator animal species - will provide a good overall assessment of the health of a particular pond.