'Frog' © David Nicholls
Background
Many of our ponds in Leicester occur within our Parks and Museums, Local Nature Reserves and private gardens, and provide an attractive feature in the landscape and a unique wildlife habitat for many species of flora and fauna.
Many of the freshwater plants and animal species have become well adapted to the special conditions that the ponds provide and many of the species have come to depend on them.
During the 20th century a great number of ponds throughout the UK were destroyed with an estimated 75% loss across the country. This loss has continued at a rate of 1% a year since the 1980s, mostly through drainage or infilling in agricultural areas or through urban development.
Designation of Ponds
Some ponds are considered to be of high wildlife value. These include field ponds in rural locations which can be designated as a Local Wildlife Site (LWS) to help protect and conserve them, and guidance on how to manage them to maximise their value.
Ponds can also be designated if they contain large populations of frogs or toads in recognition as important breeding sites; or if they have populations of protected species such as great crested newts. Some ponds in Leicester have been identified and designated for these reasons.
The Wildlife Value of Ponds
Ponds are important for wildlife as they provide a place for amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts to breed; invertebrates to lay their eggs and to live in the first few stages of their life cycle before emerging as adults (examples of this include dragonflies) and bats and birds to feed.
The loss of ponds in the UK has meant that they have been declared a priority habitat in their own right in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Locally, in Leicester, the new City Biodiversity Action Plan 2011 – 2021 has also recognised this loss and provided a Habitat Action Plan to prioritise the effective management of ponds and the creation of new ponds in appropriate areas across the City.
