English Summary
Ponds account for 30-50% of the Earth's standing water. They can be found in every biogeographical region, from deserts to tundra.
They are extremely important habitats for both aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna.
They play a significant role in mitigating climate change and adapting to it.
They are excellent recreational locations, as scientific findings confirm the calming and health-improving effects of ponds!
In some regions of Europe, 50-90% of ponds disappeared during the 20th century.
They are easy to create and, with a little care, can become natural habitats.
Ponds account for 30-50% of the Earth's standing water. They can be found in every biogeographical region, from deserts to tundra.
They are extremely important habitats for both aquatic and terrestrial flora and fauna.
They play a significant role in mitigating climate change and adapting to it.
They are excellent recreational locations, as scientific findings confirm the calming and health-improving effects of ponds!
In some regions of Europe, 50-90% of ponds disappeared during the 20th century.
They are easy to create and, with a little care, can become natural habitats.
Ponds with great importance!
Ponds are freshwater or occasionally saltwater bodies of water that are less than 10 hectares in size. They can be found in gardens, cities, villages, farmland, floodplains, plains, forests, grasslands, and marshes. Their wildlife is extremely abundant and diverse, therefore they play an important role in maintaining biodiversity.
OUR GOALS
- Creation of an urban and garden pond database and assessment of their biodiversity
- assessment of the number, water quality and biodiversity of ponds in Hungary
- DNA based methods
- citizen science
- Education, environmental education
- Preparation of scientific publications
Publications
Effects of urbanisation, habitat characteristics, and management on garden pond biodiversity: Findings from a large-scale citizen science survey
The rapid expansion of urban areas often leads to degradation, fragmentation, and loss of natural habitats, threatening biodiversity. While urban ponds might contribute substantially to the biodiversity of urban blue-green infrastructure, the role of garden ponds is still largely unknown. We lack a comprehensive understanding of how local habitat features, different forms of management, and urbanisation might impact the biodiversity of these habitats. This study aimed to reveal the importance of garden ponds via a country-wide online citizen science survey in Hungary, Central Europe.
Data from over 800 pond owners revealed the occurrence and local frequency of various native animal taxa (amphibians, odonates, and birds), and introduced animals (e.g., fish). We collected data about pond features and management practices. We tested the effects of pond features, pond management, and landscape-level drivers (urbanisation, surrounding wetland coverage) on the presence of conspicuous animal taxa (adult amphibians and tadpoles, birds, odonates) to identify the potential drivers of the biodiversity of garden ponds.
Patterns and correlates in the distribution, design and management of garden ponds along an urban–rural gradient
Urbanisation results in the loss and alteration of natural wetlands and ponds. However, garden ponds in cities and towns can potentially act as rich reservoirs of aquatic biodiversity and stepping stones for dispersal. Homeowners with a range of different motivations, including biodiversity values, install garden ponds. Here, our main aim was to study whether the design and management choices of garden pond owners depended on the location of ponds (capital city vs. countryside), when ponds were installed (pond age), or whether fish were introduced. We surveyed 834 garden pond owners across Hungary using a citizen science questionnaire, asking questions on pond size, location, construction date and materials, vegetation structure, introduction of fish and management practices.
From 753 validated responses, we found that the introduction of fish into ponds and high urbanisation were strongly associated with local features and management practices, especially large ponds with a water circulation feature, irrespective of pond age. A typical garden pond in Hungary is ~ 20 m2, < 10 years old, made of rubber lining, contains fish, aquatic vegetation and circulating water, and is actively managed. There was a spatial separation of ponds based on local features between ponds in the capital city (Budapest) and elsewhere. These findings suggest that garden pond owners in the city were more likely to make different choices in pond design and management compared to owners in regional areas. Our results also suggest that pond owners may primarily select management practices to improve habitat quality for ornamental fish. Our findings have important implications for maintaining aquatic biodiversity in urban areas, where garden ponds may be the only aquatic habitat available.
