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[[File:Staw naturalny.JPG|thumb|360px|right|A pond in [[Swarzynice]], [[Poland]]]] |
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A '''pond''' is a [[body of water|body]] of [[Water stagnation|standing water]], either natural or artificial, that is usually smaller than a [[lake]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pond|title=Definition of POND|website=www.merriam-webster.com}}</ref> They may arise naturally in floodplains as part of a river system, or they may be somewhat isolated depressions (examples include vernal pools and prairie potholes). They might contain shallow water with marsh and aquatic plants and animals.<ref>{{cite book |author=John Clegg |title=The New Observer's Book of Pond Life |year=1986 |publisher=Frederick Warne |pages=460 |isbn=0723233381 }}</ref> The type of life in a pond is generally determined by a combination of factors including water level regime (particularly depth and duration of flooding) and nutrient levels, but other factors may also be important, including presence or absence of shading by trees, presence or absence of streams, effects of grazing animals, and salinity.<ref name=keddy>{{cite book |author=Paul A. Keddy |title=Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation |year=2010 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0521739675 }}</ref> |
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Ponds are frequently human-constructed. In the countryside farmers and villagers dig a pond in their backyard or increase the depth of an existing pond by removing layers of mud during summer season. A wide variety of artificial bodies of water are classified as ponds. Some ponds are created specifically for habitat restoration, including water treatment. Others, like [[water garden]]s, water features and koi ponds are designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural features. [[Fish pond]]s are designed for commercial fish breeding, and [[solar pond]]s designed to store thermal energy. [[Treatment pond|Treatment ponds]] are used to treat [[wastewater]]. |
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Standing bodies of water such as [[puddle]]s, ponds, and lakes are often categorized separately from flowing water courses, such as brooks, creeks, streams or rivers. Nutrient levels and water quality in ponds can be controlled through natural process such as algal growth, or through artificial filtration, such as an [[algae scrubber]]. |
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==Technical definitions== |
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[[File:H0KNKH19.jpg|thumb|A small artificial garden pond at the [[Lake Palace|Taj Lake Palace]] in [[Udaipur]], India]] |
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The technical distinction between a pond and a lake has not been universally standardized. [[Limnology|Limnologists]] and [[Hydrobiology|freshwater biologists]] have proposed formal definitions for ''pond'', in part to include 'bodies of water where light penetrates to the bottom of the waterbody,' 'bodies of water shallow enough for rooted water plants to grow throughout,' and 'bodies of water which lack wave action on the shoreline.' Each of these definitions has met with resistance or disapproval, as the defining characteristics are each difficult to measure or verify. Accordingly, some organizations and researchers have settled on technical definitions of ''pond'' and ''lake'' which rely on size alone.<ref name=biggs>{{cite journal |author=Jeremy Biggs, Penny Williams, Mericia Whitfield, Pascale Nicolet, Anita Weatherby |date=2 November 2005 |title=15 years of pond assessment in Britain: results and lessons learned from the work of Pond Conservation |journal=Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems |volume=15 |issue=6 |pages=693–714 |url=http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.745/abstract |accessdate=2 March 2013 |doi=10.1002/aqc.745}}</ref> |
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Even among organizations and researchers who distinguish lakes from ponds by size alone, there is no universally recognised standard for the maximum size of a pond. The international [[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar wetland convention]] sets the upper limit for pond size as {{convert|8|ha|lk=on}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ramsar.org/ris/key_ris_e.htm |title=Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands (RIS) |publisher=Ramsar Convention on Wetlands |accessdate=2 March 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304200455/http://www.ramsar.org/ris/key_ris_e.htm |archivedate=4 March 2009 }}</ref> but biologists have not universally adopted this convention. Researchers for the British charity Pond Conservation have defined a ''pond'' to be 'a man-made or natural waterbody which is between 1 m<sup>2</sup> and 20,000 m<sup>2</sup> in area (2 ha or ~5 [[acre]]s), which holds water for four months of the year or more.'<ref name=biggs /> Other European biologists have set the upper size limit at {{convert|5|ha|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=R. Céréghino |author2=J. Biggs |author3=B. Oertli |author4=S. Declerck |date=February 2008 |title=The ecology of European ponds: defining the characteristics of a neglected freshwater habitat |journal=Hydrobiologia |volume=597 |issue=1 |pages=1–6 |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10750-007-9225-8?LI=true |accessdate=2 March 2013 |doi=10.1007/s10750-007-9225-8}}</ref> |
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In practice, a body of water is called a pond or a lake on an individual basis, as conventions change from place to place and over time. In North America, even larger bodies of water have been called ponds; for example, [[Walden Pond]] in [[Concord, Massachusetts]] measures {{convert|61| acre}}, nearby [[Middlesex Fells Reservation|Spot Pond]] is {{convert|340|acre|ha}}, while in between is [[Crystal Lake (Newton)|Crystal Lake]] at {{convert|33|acre|ha}}. There are numerous examples in other states of bodies of water less than {{convert|10|acre|ha}} being called lakes. As the case with Crystal Lake shows, marketing purposes may be the driving factor behind some names.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newtonconservators.org/15crystal.htm |title=Newton Park and Conservation Lands: Crystal Lake |publisher=Newton Conservators |accessdate=2 March 2013 }}</ref> |
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==Formation== |
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[[File:Lencois Maranhenses 3.jpg|thumb|left|Pond at the [[Lençóis Maranhenses National Park]], [[Brazil]]]] |
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Ponds can result from a wide range of natural processes. Any [[Depression (geology)|depression]] in the ground which collects and retains a sufficient amount of precipitation can be considered a pond, and such depressions can be formed by a variety of geological and ecological events. Rivers often leave behind ponds in natural flood plains after spring flooding, and these can be very important to breeding fish, particularly in large river systems like the [[Amazon River|Amazon]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Ro McConnell |title=Fish Communities in Tropical Freshwaters: Their Distribution, Ecology and Evolution |year=1975 |publisher=Longman |isbn=0582443482 }}</ref> Retreating [[glacier]]s can leave behind landscapes filled with small depressions, each developing its own pond; an example is the [[prairie pothole|Prairie Pothole Region]] of North America.<ref>{{cite book |author=Arnoud van der Valk |title=Northern Prairie Wetlands |year=1989 |publisher=Iowa State University |isbn=0813800374 }}</ref> Many areas of landscape contain small depressions which form temporary ponds after spring snow melt, or during rainy seasons; these are called vernal ponds, and may be important sites for [[amphibian]] breeding.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Aram J. K. Calhoun |author2=Phillip G. DeMaynadier |title=Science and Conservation of Vernal Pools in Northeastern North America |year=2008 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=1420005391 }}</ref> Some ponds are created by animals. [[Beaver]] ponds are the best known example, but [[alligator]]s also excavate ponds as well.<ref name=keddy /> In landscapes with organic soils, fires can also create depressions during periods of drought; these become open water when normal water levels return.<ref>{{cite book |author=Steven M. Davis |title=Everglades: The Ecosystem and its Restoration |chapter=Synthesis: vegetation pattern and process in the Everglades ecosystem |year=1994 |publisher=St. Lucie Press |pages=445–60 |isbn=0963403028 }}</ref> |
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==Characteristics== |
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[[File:Claude Monet - Water Lilies - 1906, Ryerson.jpg|thumb|During the last thirty years of his life, the main focus of [[Claude Monet|Claude Monet's]] artistic production was a [[Serial imagery|series]] of about 250 oil paintings depicting the [[Water Lilies|lily pond in his flower garden]].]] |
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One of the most important features of ponds is the presence of standing water, which provides habitat for wetland plants and animals. Familiar examples might include water-lilies, frogs, turtles and herons. Often, the entire margin of the pond is fringed by [[wetland]], and these wetlands support the aquatic food web, provide shelter for wildlife, and stabilize the shore of the pond. Some grazing animals like geese and muskrats consume the wetland plants directly as a source of food. In many other cases, however, the pond plants fall into the water and decay. A large number of invertebrates then feed on the decaying plants, and these invertebrates provide food for wetland species including fish, dragonflies and herons. The open water may allow algae to grow, and these algae may support yet another food web that includes aquatic insects and minnows. A pond, therefore, may have combinations of three different food webs, one based on larger plants, one based upon decayed plants, and one based upon algae. Hence, ponds often have a large number of different animal species using the wide array of food sources. They therefore provide an important source of biological diversity in landscapes. |
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[[Vernal pond]]s are ponds which dry up for part of the year. Naturally occurring vernal ponds do not usually have fish. They are called vernal ponds because they are typically at their peak depth in the spring ("vernal" means to do with the spring). The absence of fish is a very important characteristic, since it provides amphibians with breeding locations free from predation by fish. Hence, introducing fish to a pond can have serious detrimental consequences. In some parts of the world, such as California, the vernal ponds have rare and endangered plant species. On the coastal plain, they provide habitat for endangered frogs such as the [[Mississippi Gopher Frog]].<ref name=keddy /> |
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==Conservation and management== |
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Ponds, being small, are easily disrupted by human activity such as hikers. Drainage of ponds is a frequent problem in agricultural areas, such as in the prairie potholes of North America. Although ponds are a useful source of water for cattle, overgrazing and wading can turn a pond into a muddy hole. Nutrient sources such as fertilized pastures, human sewage, and even lawn fertilizer can cause explosive growth of algae, and the loss of rooted plants and many other aquatic species. Roads near ponds can kill large numbers of amphibians and turtles that may migrate to and from the pond as part of their annual breeding cycle. Many well-intentioned people introduce fish to ponds, being unaware that some species of fish eat aquatic plants, stir up sediment and eat the young of amphibians and many invertebrate species. The gentle slope of land into ponds also provides an expanse of habitat for wetland plants and wet meadows. The construction of retaining walls, or lawns, can severely degrade the life in a pond. |
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In some landscapes, ponds are artificially constructed, perhaps to provide wildlife viewing opportunities, or to treat wastewater, usually as part of a golf course. The design of a pond determines how productive it will be for wildlife. In general, gently sloping shorelines with broad expanses of wetland plants not only provide the best conditions for wildlife, but they help protect water quality from sources in the surrounding landscapes. It is also beneficial to allow water levels to fall each year during drier periods. Roads and houses should be kept as far away as possible.<ref>{{cite book |author=Canadian Wildlife Service |title=How Much Habitat is Enough? A Framework for Guiding Habitat Rehabilitation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern |edition=2nd |year=2004 |publisher=Canadian Wildlife Service |isbn=0662265777 }}</ref> |
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Another important way to add ponds back into landscapes is to restore rivers so that they can flood and meander to create large numbers of natural ponds, including vernal pools and wetlands, in river valleys.<ref>{{cite book |author=K. S. Richards |title=The Flooded Forest: Guidance for Policy Makers and River Managers in Europe on the Restoration of Floodplain Forests |year=2003 |publisher=FLOBAR2 Project |isbn= }}</ref> |
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==Nomenclature== |
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[[File:Niagara Falls Garden 2005.JPG|thumb|left|Formal [[rock garden]] pond with [[waterfall]].]] |
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In origin, pond is a variant form of the word pound, meaning a confining enclosure.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/pond |title=Pond |publisher=Oxford English Dictionary |accessdate=2 March 2013 }}</ref> As straying cattle are enclosed in a pound so water is enclosed in a pond. In earlier times, ponds were artificial and utilitarian; as [[stew pond]]s, [[mill pond]]s and so on. The significance of this feature seems, in some cases, to have been lost when the word was carried abroad with emigrants. In the United States, natural pools are often called ponds. Ponds for a specific purpose keep the adjective, such as "stock pond", used for watering livestock. |
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''Pond'' usually implies a quite small body of water, generally smaller than one would require a boat to cross. Another definition is that a pond is a body of water where even its deepest areas are reached by sunlight or where a human can walk across the entire body of water without being submerged. In some dialects of English, pond normally refers to small artificially created bodies of water. |
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Some regions of the United States define a pond as a body of water with a surface area of less than {{convert|10|acre|ha}}. [[Minnesota]], known as the 'land of 10,000 lakes' is commonly said to distinguish lakes from ponds, bogs and other water features by this definition,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/faq/mnfacts/water.html |title=Lakes, rivers, and wetlands facts |publisher=Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |accessdate=2 March 2013 }}</ref> but also says that a lake is distinguished primarily by wave action reaching the shore.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakes/faqs.html#lake_definition |title=Frequently asked questions about lakes |publisher=Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |accessdate=2 March 2013 }}</ref> |
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[[File:Winter December 2007 with Pond.jpg|thumb|Pond in winter]] |
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The term is also used for temporary accumulation of water from [[surface runoff]] (''ponded'' water). |
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There are various regional names for naturally occurring ponds. In Scotland, one of the terms is [[loch]]an, which may also apply to a large body of water such as a lake. In North American prairies, they may be termed [[Dry lake|playas]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Loren M. Smith |title=Playas of the Great Plains |year=2003 |publisher=University of Texas Press |isbn=0292743688 }}</ref> |
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==Uses== |
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Ponds are used for the provision of fish and other wildlife including waterfowl which a source of food for humans. [[Pollution|Pollutants]] entering ponds are often substantially mitigated by the natural sedimentation and biological activities within the water body. Ponds are also a major contributor to local [[ecosystem]] richness and diversity for both plants and animals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-8agmdg|title=Freshwater ecosystems:publisher=Forest Research|access-date=12 October 2016}}</ref> |
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In the Indian subcontinent, [[Hindu]] temples usually have a pond nearby so that pilgrims can take baths. These ponds are considered sacred. |
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In [[medieval]] times in [[Europe]], it was typical for many [[monastery]] and [[castle]]s (small, partly self-sufficient communities) to have [[fish pond]]s. These are still common in Europe and in [[East Asia]] (notably Japan), where [[koi]] may be kept. |
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[[Stabilization pond|Waste stabilization ponds]] are used as a low-cost method for wastewater treatment. |
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In agriculture, treatment ponds may reduce nutrients released downstream from the pond. They may also provide irrigation [[reservoir]]s at times of drought. |
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==Examples== |
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Some notable ponds are: |
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{{div col|2}} |
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*[[Big Pond, Nova Scotia]] |
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*[[Walden Pond]], [[Massachusetts]], United States — associated with [[Henry David Thoreau]] |
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*[[Christian Pond]], [[Wyoming]], United States |
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*[[Hampstead Ponds]], England |
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*[[Milicz Ponds]], [[Poland]] |
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*[[Oguni-numa Pond]], Japan |
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*[[Paga Crocodile Pond]], Ghana |
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*[[Rožmberk Pond]], [[Czech Republic]] |
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{{div col end}} |
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==See also== |
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{{Portal|Wetlands}} |
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*[[Cypress dome]] |
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*[[Treatment pond]] |
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*[[Water garden]] |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist|30em}} |
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==Further reading== |
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*Clegg, J. (1986). ''Observer's Book of Pond Life''. Frederick Warne, London. 460p. |
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*Hughes, F.M.R. (ed.). (2003). ''The Flooded Forest: Guidance for policy makers and river managers in Europe on the restoration of floodplain forests''. FLOBAR2, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. 96 p.[http://www.geog.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/flobar2/reports/final/flobar2.pdf] |
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*Environment Canada. (2004). ''How Much Habitat is Enough? A Framework for Guiding Habitat Rehabilitation in Great Lakes Areas of Concern''. 2nd ed. 81 p.[https://web.archive.org/web/20120425113019/http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/wildlife/docs/pdf/habitatframework-e.pdf] |
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*Keddy, P.A. (2010). ''Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation'' (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. |
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* Herda DJ (2008) [https://books.google.com/books?id=vlpfYtEyYoAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Zen+%26+the+Art+of+Pond+Building&hl=en&ei=16qeTr_qJ8vwmAXLpvj7CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false ''Zen & the Art of Pond Building''] Sterling Publishing Company. {{ISBN|978-1-4027-4274-3}}. |
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*W.H. MacKenzie and J.R. Moran (2004). ''Wetlands of British Columbia: A Guide to Identification''. Ministry of Forests, Land Management Handbook 52. |
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== External links== |
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{{Wikiquote}} |
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{{pond|state=expanded}} |
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{{aquatic ecosystem topics|expanded=false}} |
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{{Wetlands}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:Fluvial landforms]] |
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[[Category:Habitats]] |
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[[Category:Ponds| ]] |
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[[Category:Bodies of water]] |
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