New guide will help landowners “bring ponds back to life” - Freshwater Habitats Trust
A new guide will help landowners boost biodiversity by digging new ponds – and resurrecting some of those we’ve lost. Based on the latest scientific evidence and written by experts from Freshwater Habitats Trust and UCL’s Pond Restoration Research Group, the Guide to the Restoration, Creation and Management of Ponds: Bringing Ponds Back to Life demonstrates how to create and restore these small waterbodies to make a big difference to wildlife.
The guide, which is freely available, is designed to support landowners, farmers and other stewards of the land to create and manage ponds in all landscapes, from nature reserves to the wider countryside. Among other things, it highlights the importance of different pond types, such as seasonal ponds, and shows how to increase the number of clean water ponds in a region to boost freshwater biodiversity.
The recent State of Nature report identified the UK as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries, while the Living Planet Index found freshwater species to be declining faster than any other group. Around two-thirds of ponds in England and Wales have been lost since the late 19th century. Research by Freshwater Habitats Trust and other organisations has repeatedly shown that, at landscape scale, ponds support more biodiversity than larger waterbodies, such as rivers and lakes.
The booklet provides guidance on creating and managing ponds for wildlife, based on more than three decades of research from Freshwater Habitats Trust and partners. It also highlights ways to resurrect long-lost and filled in “ghost ponds” – a concept developed by Carl Sayer at UCL – which can be identified through historic maps or by depressions in the landscape.
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Posted On: 31/10/2023