A comparison of the catchment sizes of rivers,streams, ponds,ditches and lakes: implications for protecting aquatic biodiversity in an agricultural landscape |
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Authors: | B R Davies J Biggs P J Williams J T Lee S Thompson |
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Institution: | (1) Pond Conservation c/o School of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK;(2) Spatial Ecology and Landuse Unit, School of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK |
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Abstract: | In this study we compared the biodiversity of five waterbody types (ditches, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams) within an agricultural
study area in lowland England to assess their relative contribution to the plant and macroinvertebrate species richness and
rarity of the region. We used a Geographical Information System (GIS) to compare the catchment areas and landuse composition
for each of these waterbody types to assess the feasibility of deintensifying land to levels identified in the literature
as acceptable for aquatic biota. Ponds supported the highest number of species and had the highest index of species rarity
across the study area. Catchment areas associated with the different waterbody types differed significantly, with rivers having
the largest average catchment sizes and ponds the smallest. The important contribution made to regional aquatic biodiversity
by small waterbodies and in particular ponds, combined with their characteristically small catchment areas, means that they
are amongst the most valuable, and potentially amongst the easiest, of waterbody types to protect. Given the limited area
of land that may be available for the protection of aquatic biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, the deintensification
of such small catchments (which can be termed microcatchments) could be an important addition to the measures used to protect
aquatic biodiversity, enabling ‘pockets’ of high aquatic biodiversity to occur within working agricultural landscapes.
Guest editors: R. Céréghino, J. Biggs, B. Oertli & S. Declerck
The ecology of European ponds: defining the characteristics of a neglected freshwater habitat |
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Keywords: | Watershed Microcatchment Aquatic biodiversity Agri-environment schemes Diffuse pollution |
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