Ponds, Pools and Puddles

Ponds and pools are a common feature of our landscape ¿ there are at least ten times as many ponds as lakes in the UK ¿ and they are also important wildlife habitats. This book provides a comprehensive and detailed account of these freshwater habitats.The first chapter discusses what ponds, pools and puddles are, how they differ from rivers and lakes, their origin ¿ natural or man-made, the different types of ponds and their abundance and distribution in Britain.A second chapter looks at ponds as ancient natural habitats that have existed for millennia on the earth¿s surface. Ancient pond communities, as preserved in inter- and post-glacial sediments, are compared with modern pond communities. This chapter also examines the physical and chemical environment of ponds, covering aspects such as size, shape and depth, hydrology, oxygen and temperature.Ponds, pools and puddles are important wildlife habitats; they are as rich in species as rivers, and support rare and uncommon taxa includin