The ecological role of ponds in a changing world
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TLDR
While the ecological role of ponds is now well-established, authoritative research-based advice remains needed to inform future direction in the conservation of small water bodies and to further bridge the gap between science and practice.Abstract:
The fifth conference of the European Pond Conservation Network (Luxembourg, June 2012) brought together researchers, environmental managers, and other stakeholders with the aim to share state-of-the-art knowledge on the ecology, management, and conservation of ponds in the context of the many challenges facing the wider water environment. Although well-known ecological patterns apply to most ponds in Europe and elsewhere, recent data highlight that part of the environmental variables governing pond biodiversity remain specific to climatic/biogeographic regions and to elevation ranges, suggesting that, in addition to common practice, management plans should include range-specific measures. Beyond the contribution of individual ponds to the aquatic and terrestrial life, connected networks of ponds are vital in the provision of new climate space as a response to global climate change, by allowing the observed northward and/or upward movements of species. In terms of services, ponds offer sustainable solutions to key issues of water management and climate change such as nutrient retention, rainfall interception, or carbon sequestration. While the ecological role of ponds is now well-established, authoritative research-based advice remains needed to inform future direction in the conservation of small water bodies and to further bridge the gap between science and practice.read more
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How do freshwater organisms cross the “dry ocean”? A review on passive dispersal and colonization processes with a special focus on temporary ponds
TL;DR: The existence of a sharp decoupling between “dispersal potential” and “actual establishment rates” is stressed, thus urging a definitive overcome of the so-called “Everything is Everywhere” hypothesis in order to gain a proper understanding of the biogeography and ecology of inland water organisms.
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Small Water Bodies in Great Britain and Ireland: Ecosystem function, human-generated degradation, and options for restorative action.
W. D. Riley,Edward C.E. Potter,Jeremy Biggs,Adrian L. Collins,Helen P. Jarvie,J. Iwan Jones,Mary Kelly-Quinn,Stephen James Ormerod,David Sear,Robert L. Wilby,Samantha Broadmeadow,Colin D. Brown,Paul Chanin,Gordon H. Copp,Ian G. Cowx,Adam Grogan,D.D. Hornby,Duncan Huggett,Martyn Kelly,Marc Naura,Jonathan Newman,Gavin M. Siriwardena +21 more
TL;DR: Reducing the impacts and restoring the natural ecosystem function of these water bodies requires a three-tiered approach based on: restoration of channel hydromorphological dynamics; restoration and management of the riparian zone; andmanagement of activities in the wider catchment that have both point-source and diffuse impacts.
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Farm ponds in southern China: Challenges and solutions for conserving a neglected wetland ecosystem.
TL;DR: This paper presents the first synthetic perspective on the ecological roles of farm ponds in agriculturally dominated developing countries, referential to sustainable rural development and the management of other small, scattered wetlands.
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Editorial: Freshwater biodiversity conservation: The role of artificial ponds in the 21st century
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High alpine ponds shift upwards as average temperatures increase: A case study of the Ortles–Cevedale mountain group (Southern Alps, Italy) over the last 50 years
Franco Salerno,Sara Gambelli,Gaetano Viviano,Sudeep Thakuri,Sudeep Thakuri,Nicolas Guyennon,Carlo D'Agata,Guglielmina Diolaiuti,Claudio Smiraglia,Fabrizio Stefani,Daniele Bocchiola,Gianni Tartari +11 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used remote sensing to analyze more than 100 water ponds over the last 50 years (1954-2007) and found that since the 1980s, some lower elevation ponds have increased in size and that new ponds have appeared as a consequence of glacial shrinkage and retreat.
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