Man-made Ponds Research Articles

Population genetic structure of crucian carp (Carassius carassius) in man-made ponds and wild populations in Sweden

Although once popular prior to the last century, the aquaculture of crucian carp Carassius carassius (L. 1758) in Sweden gradually fell from favour. This is the first genetic comparison of crucian carp from historic man-made ponds in the Scandinavian Peninsula. The aim was to identify old populations without admixture and to compare the relationship of pond populations from different provinces in Sweden. In total, nine microsatellite loci from 234 individuals from 20 locations in varied parts of Sweden were analysed. The genetic distances of crucian carp populations indicated that the populations in the southernmost province of Sweden, Scania, shared a common history. A pond population in the province Smaland also showed a common inheritance with this group. In the province Uppland, further north in Sweden, the population genetic distances suggested a much more complex history of crucian carp distributions in the ponds. The data showed that there are some ponds with potentially old populations without admixture, but also that several ponds might have been stocked with fish from many sources.

Vallisneria spiralisandEgeria densa(Hydrocharitaceae) in arctic and subarctic Iceland

AbstractWe report the spread of two aquatic invasive plants, Vallisneria spiralis L. and Egeria densa Planch., into geothermal ponds in Iceland. These species are effective invaders due to their efficient dispersal, vegetative reproduction, high biomass production, and popularity in the aquarium trade. V. spiralis and E. densa were found in 2013 in a man-made pond near Husavik in northern Iceland. E. densa also occurs, at least since 2004, in southern Iceland, in Opnur Springs. Both species were confirmed by DNA sequencing. Our results indicate that V. spiralis and E. densa have established self-sustaining populations in Iceland, representing to date the northern-most confirmed occurrences of both species. These Icelandic populations extend the northern limit of E.densa and V. spiralis by at least 1000 km and, to our knowledge, are the first records of non-native invasive aquatic plants in the arctic and subarctic. Our study shows that geothermally heated water bodies can further facilitate the spread of ...

Genetic diversity and population history of the endangered killifish Aphanius baeticus.

The secondary freshwater fish fauna of the western-Iberian Peninsula basin is primarily restricted to local coastal streams, and man-made salt evaporation ponds, etc., which are susceptible to periodical flood and drought events. Despite its uniqueness in ecological adaptation to high saltwater tolerance, very little is known about this fauna's population dynamics and evolutionary history. The killifish, Aphanius baeticus (Cyprinodontidae) is an endemic species restricted to river basins on Spain's southern Atlantic coastline, considered as "Endangered." In this study, the genetic structure, diversity and historical demography of A. baeticus were analyzed using mitochondrial (cytochrome b, N=131) and nuclear (4 out of 19 microsatellites tested, N=288) markers across its distribution range. The phylogenetic and networking reconstruction revealed subtle phylogeographic structuring. A scattered expansion at the beginning of the interglacial periods, coupled with posterior events of extinction and colonization caused by periodical cycles of flooding, could explain the absence of well-defined phylogenetic relationships among populations. Moreover, very low genetic diversity values and a weak population differentiation were detected. We proposed that dispersals allowed by periodic floods connecting river drainages may have promoted a wide genetic exchange among populations and could have contributed to the current genetic relatedness of these populations.

Assessing metal pollution in ponds constructed for controlling runoff from reclaimed coal mines.

Constructing ponds to protect downstream ecosystems is a common practice in opencast coal mine reclamation. As these ponds remain integrated in the landscape, it is important to evaluate the extent of the effect of mine pollution on these ecosystems. However, this point has not been sufficiently addressed in the literature. The main objective of this work was to explore the metal pollution in man-made ponds constructed for runoff control in reclaimed opencast coal mines over time. To do so, we evaluated the concentration of ten heavy metals in the water, sediment, and Typha sp. in 16 runoff ponds ranging from 1 to 19years old that were constructed in reclaimed opencast coal mines of northeastern Spain. To evaluate degree of mining pollution, we compared these data to those from a pit lake created in a local unreclaimed mine and to local streams as an unpolluted reference, as well as comparing toxicity levels in aquatic organisms. The runoff ponds showed toxic concentrations of Al, Cu, and Ni in the water and As and Ni in the sediment, which were maintained over time. Metal concentrations in runoff ponds were higher than in local streams, and macrophytes showed high metal concentrations. Nevertheless, metal concentrations in water and sediment in runoff ponds were lower than those in the pit lake. This study highlights the importance of mining reclamation to preserve the health of aquatic ecosystems and suggests the existence of chronic metal toxicity in the ponds, potentially jeopardizing pond ecological functions and services.

Taxonomic and functional successional patterns in macroinvertebrates related to flying dispersal abilities: a case study from isolated manmade ponds at reclaimed opencast coal mines

It has been proposed that communities change from r to K strategies during primary succession. However, because strong-flying organisms are expected to arrive first in newly created habitats and they show trait characteristics associated more often with K strategies, we hypothesized that the r to K trajectories would be more closely followed by flightless and poorly-flying organisms. Moreover, we expected that macroinvertebrate communities would converge in their functional composition due to deterministic forces while diverging as taxonomic assemblages due to stochastic drift and biotic interactions. However, we also expected that dispersal abilities of the organisms would affect these tendencies. To address these issues, macroinvertebrates were sampled from isolated manmade ponds of different ages (1–22 years old) constructed at reclaimed opencast coal mines. In accordance with our expectations, only flightless and poorly-flying organisms exhibited a slight shift from r to K strategies, the community taxonomically diverged along the primary succession gradient, and stochastic drift showed greater effects on strong-flying organisms. In contrast, the community did not converge in its functional composition. The weak differences observed among the macroinvertebrates from ponds of different ages suggested that limiting environmental conditions prevented the organisms from evolving to a more structured community.

Macroinvertebrate biodiversity patterns during primary succession in manmade ponds in north-eastern Spain

The aim of this work was to evaluate the primary succession of manmade ponds by studying the temporal patterns of the pond biodiversity metrics. We surveyed the macroinvertebrate community, the water and the sediment of 19 manmade ponds of different ages (from 1 to 22 years) located at reclaimed opencast coal mines in north-eastern Spain. This study showed an increase of biodiversity with pond age: the oldest ponds showed higher complexity and more rare taxa than the youngest ponds, while the taxonomic richness did not change. These results highlighted the need for using a wide range of biodiversity metrics. Moreover, our results suggest that post-mining landscapes could be limiting environments for the evolving macroinvertebrate community because pond age explained less of the biodiversity variance than the environmental characteristics. The changes found in water and sediment during this time were not reflected in changes in biodiversity, and the levels of biodiversity in our study area were lower than those of restored or manmade ponds of similar ages.

Maximizing pond biodiversity across the landscape: a case study of larval ambystomatid salamanders

AbstractLoss or alteration of natural wetland habitats is a near ubiquitous global phenomenon. In the US, legislation mandates that all lost wetland habitats be replaced; manmade wetland habitats rarely have the same structural form or ecological function as natural wetlands. In the eastern US, these manmade pond habitats often serve as water sources for wildlife, but many are also utilized by amphibians for reproduction. Understanding the features that maximize species’ abundance and diversity is critical to effective management. In this study, we surveyed for ambystomatid salamander larvae at 169 manmade ponds in a military training installation. Three species were present: Ambystoma maculatum, A. opacum and the regionally endemic A. annulatum. We estimated larval densities in each pond in relation to landscape‐ and pond‐level covariates. Important factors relating to larval density were forest habitat surrounding each pond, canopy cover over a pond, the number of ponds within 300 m of the focal pond, presence of fish, slope of the pond basin, hydroperiod and amount of vegetation within the pond. Density estimates for each species were best predicted by different combinations of these factors, underscoring the need to provide a range of pond habitats to promote species diversity on the landscape. Our results indicate that manmade ponds are providing a valuable reproductive resource, but that future construction of ponds on the landscape will best serve the salamander and broader amphibian community if different combinations of hydroperiod and slope are utilized.

Patterns in the organization of Cerrado pond biodiversity in Brazilian pasture landscapes

There is a worldwide concern on the loss of pond biodiversity in human dominated landscapes. Nevertheless, agricultural activities appear to increase pond number in the Brazilian Cerrado through damming streams for cattle raising. These man-made ponds may represent important landscape features, but their importance to regional biodiversity has not yet been studied. Here, we evaluated differences in alpha and beta diversity under a multi-taxonomic approach, as well as tested pond size as the main driver of local species richness. We also assessed the importance of environmental heterogeneity through the analysis of the regional species accumulation curves (SAC). The overall result suggests that species turnover was the major component of regional biodiversity for all groups. Major physical and chemical water conditions had no effects on algae, macrophytes, water bugs, and birds species richness. Pond size had a significant effect on Odonata and fish species richness, while water beetles and amphibians were influenced by trophic conditions. Results from regional SAC show variations among different taxonomic groups regarding landscape heterogeneity: only algae, fish, and birds do not reached to an asymptote and had higher z-values. Our results highlight the importance of ponds for biodiversity conservation in increasingly agricultural landscapes in central Brazil.

How to maximally support local and regional biodiversity in applied conservation? Insights from pond management.

Biodiversity and nature values in anthropogenic landscapes often depend on land use practices and management. Evaluations of the association between management and biodiversity remain, however, comparatively scarce, especially in aquatic systems. Furthermore, studies also tend to focus on a limited set of organism groups at the local scale, whereas a multi-group approach at the landscape scale is to be preferred. This study aims to investigate the effect of pond management on the diversity of multiple aquatic organism groups (e.g. phytoplankton, zooplankton, several groups of macro-invertebrates, submerged and emergent macrophytes) at local and regional spatial scales. For this purpose, we performed a field study of 39 shallow man-made ponds representing five different management types. Our results indicate that fish stock management and periodic pond drainage are crucial drivers of pond biodiversity. Furthermore, this study provides insight in how the management of eutrophied ponds can contribute to aquatic biodiversity. A combination of regular draining of ponds with efforts to keep ponds free of fish seems to be highly beneficial for the biodiversity of many groups of aquatic organisms at local and regional scales. Regular draining combined with a stocking of fish at low biomass is also preferable to infrequent draining and lack of fish stock control. These insights are essential for the development of conservation programs that aim long-term maintenance of regional biodiversity in pond areas across Europe.

Farmed Areas Predict the Distribution of Amphibian Ponds in a Traditional Rural Landscape

BackgroundTraditional rural landscapes of Eastern Europe are undergoing major changes due to agricultural intensification, land abandonment, change in agricultural practices and infrastructural development. Small man-made ponds are important yet vulnerable components of rural landscapes. Despite their important role for biodiversity, these ponds tend to be excluded from conservation strategies.Methodology/FindingsOur study was conducted in a traditional rural landscape in Eastern Europe. The aim of this study is twofold: (i) to model the distribution of four major man-made pond types and (ii) to present the importance of man-made ponds for the endangered Yellow Bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) and the Common Toad (Bufo bufo). Six environmental variables were used to model pond distribution: Corine landcover, the heterogeneity of the landcover, slope, road distance, distance to closest village and the human population density. Land cover heterogeneity was the most important driver for the distribution of fishponds. Areas used for agriculture with significant areas of natural vegetation were the most important predictors for the distribution of temporary ponds. In addition, areas covered by transitional woodland and scrub were important for the open cattle ponds. Bombina variegata was found predominantly in the temporary ponds (e.g. ponds created by cattle and buffalo, dirt road ponds and concrete ponds created for livestock drinking) and Bufo bufo in fishponds.Conclusions/SignificanceOur Maxent models revealed that the highest probability of occurrence for amphibian ponds was in areas used as farmland. The traditional farming practices combined with a low level of infrastructure development produces a large number of amphibian ponds. The challenge is to harmonize economic development and the maintenance of high densities of ponds in these traditional rural landscapes.

Genetic evaluation of remnant and translocated shiners, Notropis heterodon and Notropis heterolepis

Population and conservation genetics of two freshwater fish species, Notropis heterodon and Notropis heterolepis, were evaluated in north-eastern Illinois, U.S.A., where both species have severely declined. Fishes were sampled from two remnant populations occurring in small glacial lakes (source samples) and from two man-made ponds that had been stocked with fishes from those same lakes (sanctuary samples). The goal was to obtain information that would help inform conservation programme planning to reintroduce sanctuary fishes to areas where both species are extirpated. Microsatellite data showed that the two species were genetically quite distinct and there was no evidence of hybridization in either source or sanctuary samples. Within each species, source and sanctuary samples had moderate levels of heterozygosity and were not significantly different from each other. Many alleles observed in the source samples, however, were not detected in the sanctuary samples, indicating that translocation had resulted in reduced allelic diversity of the sanctuary samples. Sibship analysis indicated that full and half sibs occurred within source-lake samples, thus reducing the effective population size of the reintroduced stock. Taken together, these results suggest that source-lake stocks rather than sanctuary stocks are more appropriate for future reintroductions of both species in their native range, unless sanctuary populations can be established with hundreds of fishes. Also, fishes should be harvested from multiple locations in source lakes to avoid over-representation of family groups.

Roof-Nesting Least Terns Travel to Forage in Brackish/Marine Waters

Sternula antillarum (Least Tern) are small, migratory seabirds that are listed as threatened or endangered in every state in which they occur. While their natural nesting habitat is open beach, Least Terns have adapted to nest on flat tar and gravel roofs, sometimes many kilometers inland. We used the “fish drop” technique to collect fish that birds dropped around a roof colony in Pinellas County, FL to assess use of fresh and saltwater fish species as prey. We collected 37 fish from 12 different species. The most common (n = 11) was Dorosoma petenense (Threadfin Shad), a species found primarily in marine/brackish waters, but often stocked in man-made freshwater ponds to supplement piscivorous fish prey. Eighteen of the remaining 26 fish, encompassing 7 of the remaining 11 species, are marine/brackish species, 5 individuals are freshwater species, and 3 are freshwater/brackish species. Roof-nesting Least Terns appeared to forage in stormwater ponds and a lake found near the colony, but they also traveled a minimum of 4.8 km to forage in marine/brackish waters. Roof nesters may face greater challenges than beach nesters, because they are potentially exposed to more pollutants in stormwater ponds and expend more energy and time to travel farther to forage at saltwater sites.

A Mark-Recapture Study Of A Dog-Faced Water Snake Cerberus Schneiderii (Colubridae: Homalopsidae) Population In Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore

Ecological traits of a relatively sheltered population of the dog-faced water snake, Cerberus schneiderii, were determined or estimated using mark-recapture data. Monthly surveys were conducted at the man-made brackish ponds at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore throughout the year 2006. Estimates of population density (102 snakes ha -1 ), snake biomass (4.1 kg ha -1 ) and relative abundance (5.4 snakes man-hour -1 ) provided evidence of a large population. Sex ratio was almost 1:1. Snakes from a wide range (145-720 mm SVL) of body size were present. Even though neonates were rarely encountered, 88.7% of adult females have reached the size of sexual maturity (SVL = 336 mm SVL). There was no seasonal variation in the population's size structure, suggesting that recruitment occurred throughout the year. Most of the snakes were sedentary and more than 90% of them remained in the same pond that they were captured for the fi rst time. During low tides, snakes had a tendency of congregating at the relatively deep waters close to the sluice gates and in the network of tidal streams and pools in the man-made ponds. The population exhibited sexual dimorphism, in terms of males having relatively longer tails and females possessing relatively wider heads.

Retention of Aqueous 226Ra Fluxes from a Subaqueous Mill Tailings Disposal at the Bois Noirs Site (Loire, France)

This study focuses on a subaqueous mill tailings disposal site located in France (Bois Noirs) where 1.3 million tons of uranium mill sludge (fine tailings fraction < 50μm) have been disposed since the 60's in a man-made pond below 4 meters of water maintained artificially by a rock-fill dam. A significant attenuation of aqueous 226Ra activity is observed in ground waters. This paper presents the preliminary modeling work performed for evaluating the role of water-rock interactions on aqueous 226Ra attenuation through the dam. This modeling attempt, assuming thermodynamic equilibrium, aims at checking the hydrochemical conceptual model developed in a previous study, in which Ra retention through the dam was assumed to most likely result from sorption onto metallic oxide-hydroxides. A 2D coupled reactive transport model was conceived to test this hypothesis over time and identify the measurements required to verify its consistency over the long term.

Conservation status of amphibians in Tunisia

The North African amphibian fauna was once regarded as limited in diversity, but increased field and laboratory research in the region has subsequently revealed considerable endemism and data such as these are necessary for making objective and justifiable recommendations for conservation. Our research, coupled with findings from the literature, allow an up-to-date analysis of distribution, status of populations, and actual and potential threats to the continued survival of all species within Tunisia. The Tunisian batrachofauna currently consists of seven species grouped in seven genera: Pleurodeles, Bufotes, Discoglossus, Bufo, Amietophrynus, Pelophylax, and Hyla. Whereas other species are characterized by wider distributions from north to south, Bufo spinosus appears restricted to the mountainous northwestern corner where major protected areas occur. Pleurodeles nebulosus and Hyla meridionalis appear restricted to humid, subhumid, and semi-arid localities in northern Tunisia, in the Khroumirie region, but also within the Mogod region, around Tunis and the Cap Bon Peninsula. Northern localities represent the most humid and temperate portion of the country and support the highest habitat and species diversity. Despite an increasing number of man-made habitats (irrigation canals), southern localities continue to suffer from lack of suitable habitat due to natural and human causes. There are no manmade ponds dedicated to protect amphibian species in Tunisia. Our observations confirmed that Tunisia is affected by amphibian population decline, due especially to loss and fragmentation of habitat. Principal threats to amphibian survival (uncontrolled urban extension, alteration and destruction of habitat, pollution, road kills, and introduction of several predator species) vary slightly from north to south. Implementation of stricter policies coupled with increased public education and awareness is recommended in order to preserve Tunisia’s amphibian fauna.

Aquatic Insect Assemblages of Man-Made Permanent Ponds, Buenos Aires City, Argentina

Freshwater habitats are important elements within urban green space and they are endangered by various types of human activity. With the aim to increase the knowledge about species biodiversity in urban ecosystems, we characterised the assemblages of aquatic insects in four permanent man-made ponds in Buenos Aires city (Argentina) during a 1-year period. We recorded 32 species with Sigara spp. (Hemiptera) as the most abundant. The removal of aquatic vegetation from the studied ponds may have affected both the establishment and permanence of the insect community. Swimmers were the dominant group in the studied sites, followed by burrowers and sprawlers, and only a few strictly climbers were collected. Therefore, all sampled ponds were dominated by collectors (principally gatherers), secondarily by predators and only few shredders were detected, which was much affected by the removal of macrophytes. Non-parametric abundance indexes estimated a number of species very close to the observed number in each site. Conversely, the incidence indexes estimated more species because there were many more taxa present only in one sample than those represented by few individual in a sample. Our data provides some insights on the community of man-made ponds that can improve the management of these aquatic urban habitats. Considering that macrophytes affect animal assemblages due to their role as physical structures that increase the complexity or heterogeneity of habitats, they should not be removed by authorities in order to promote biodiversity.

Man-made Mediterranean temporary ponds as a tool for amphibian conservation

Mediterranean temporary ponds (MTPs) are crucial breeding sites for local amphibians, a faunal group in decline in the Mediterranean mainly due to wetland destruction. Although the disappearance of len- tic habitats in other regions of the world has been ameliorated by the creation and restoration of wetlands, these tactics remain untested in Mediterranean wetlands. To evaluate the amphibian colonization dynamics of artificial MTPs in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula, we monitored two artificial MTPs (one in a high- diversity area and the other in a low-diversity area) over 2 years. We selected reference wetlands at each area, and amphibian communities of man-made MTPs were compared to those of reference wetlands. We found that, beginning in the first year, artificial MTPs were a valuable habitat for regional amphibian fauna. Posteriorly, we focused on the reproductive success of the natterjack toad, Bufo calamita. Using a drift fence equipped with pit-fall traps, we measured the abundance of both reproductive adults entering the pond and post-metamorphic individuals exiting the pond. Using mark-recapture methods, we analyzed the time and energy costs associated with reproduction in the artificial MTPs. We observed a highly variable colonization dynamics between sites, between hydroperiods, and within hydroperiods, and these dynamics often depended on meteorological factors. Our results suggest that even at a short timescale, native amphibian species such as B. calamita can benefit from wetland creation in the Mediterranean region.

Green algal interactions with physicochemical parameters of some manmade ponds in Zaria, northern Nigeria

Green algal species and their association with physicochemical parameters in some manmade ponds in Zaria, Nigeria were studied from November 2005 to August 2006. Phytoplankton and water samples were collected, preserved and analyzed using standard methods. A total of 27 green algal species divided into 16 families were recorded. Shannon diversity indices ranged from 1.75 to 2.39 in all ponds, dominance index from 0.14 to 0.23 and species evenness 0.56 to 0.64. Closterium sp. and Rhizoclonium hookeri Kuetz. were positively associated with the concentration of Fe, however they were negatively correlated (sensitive) to alkalinity, total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity. Stichococcus bacillaris Naegeli, Staurastrum rotula Nordst. and Sphaeroplea sp. had significant positive relationship with biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), Mn, and Mo levels in the water. Pseudouvella americana (Snow) Wille. and Scenedesmus quadricauda (Turp.) de Breb. showed a close positive association with alkalinity but were sensitive to Fe, BOD, Mn and Mo. The species reported here showed closed association with physicochemical factors in these ponds.

Archaeological exploration using magnetic and GPR methods at the first court of Hatshepsut Temple in Luxor, Egypt

The Hatshepsut Temple at Luxor, southern Egypt was built as a garden for Amun, and the first court indeed had exotic trees and vegetations. The pathway to the temple was along a sphinx-lined causeway linking the valley to pylons, which are missing now. As an effort to outline remains of the vanished garden and missing pylons and any other possible archaeological structures at this first court site, an extensive integrated magnetic/ground-penetrating radar (GPR) geophysical survey was conducted. The magnetic survey covered the entire area of the first court (100 × 60 m), while the GPR survey covered only an area of 50 × 50 m. The acquired GPR data were processed and presented as 2-D depth sections providing a reasonable vertical/horizontal resolution for the upper 6 m of the investigated site. The acquired magnetic data was processed and presented as 2-D image. The integrated interpretation of the acquired GPR and magnetic data revealed some archaeological features including a rectangular depression which is presumably an ancient man-made pond in the garden of the temple, a rectangular feature that may be a foundation of the missing pylon of the temple, and a suite of aligned anomalies that could be the remnants of sphinx. Such findings reflect the archaeological potentiality of the surveyed site and outline the extension of the temple. Meanwhile, these results necessitate further geophysical investigation or archaeological excavation to be confirmed.

Morphologic and Genetic Variation in Triops (Branchiopoda: Notostraca) from Ephemeral Waters of the Northern Chihuahuan Desert of North America

Abstract Tadpole shrimp are known to be important animals in the ecology of ephemeral wetlands. In the northern Chihuahuan Desert of North America, the tadpole shrimp fauna is composed of possibly three species in the genus Triops, which have variously been referred to as species, subspecies, and intraspecific variation. Our results support the presence of three morphologically distinct forms, which will be referred to herein as T. newberryi, T. longicaudatus “short,” and T. longicaudatus “long.” We report analyses of Triops spp. sampled in summer 2008 from 14 natural playas and man-made flood retention ponds. Data were recorded on meristic counts and quantitative measurements of morphological features. We also sequenced portions of the mitochondrial COI and ND1 genes for 72 shrimp, including individuals from all three morphological forms and for multiple ponds for each form where possible. The three forms were morphologically distinct for multiple characters and molecular analyses showed large difference...