Pond conservation in Europe: the European Pond Conservation Network (EPCN)

摘要

There is growing awareness in Europe of the importance of ponds, reflecting the increasing understanding of the contribution they make to aquatic biodiversity and catchment functions. Collectively, ponds support as many species as rivers or lakes, including many that are rare or threatened (Williams et al. 2003, Grillas et al. 2004, Nicolet et al. 2004, Oertli et al. 2004), and they are increasingly seen as able to provide ecosystem services, such as nutrient interception, hydrological regulation, and climate change habitat 'stepping stones.' As knowledge of ponds has increased, they have begun to receive greater protection, particularly in the Mediterranean regions of Europe, as a result of the identification of Mediterranean temporary ponds as a priority in the Habitats Directive and the adoption of RAMSAR resolution VIII-33 (2002) on the designation of temporary ponds as RAMSAR sites. Despite this, in large parts of Europe, small water bodies still receive very little protection: for example, they are effectively excluded from the provisions of the Water Framework Directive (WFD; EC 2000), even though this is intended to ensure the good status of all waters. There is now a need to strengthen, develop, and coordinate existing initiatives, and to build a common framework to establish a sound scientific and practical basis for pond conservation in Europe. The European Pond Conservation Network (EPCN) was established to address these issues.