In a recent study, a team of scientists identified the best ways to manage garden ponds to improve biodiversity in urban environments.

With an estimated two and a half to three and a half million garden ponds in the UK, they can be an important resource to biodiversity, providing crucial habitats for aquatic species and flora.

Dr Matthew Hill, lecturer in ecology at Bournemouth University, who led the study says: “If we can add biodiversity into the ornamental designs, they could provide an important freshwater resource in urban areas.”

In the new study, published in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity, the Freshwater Habitats Trust carried out surveys across 30 ponds in Oxfordshire, the data was then analysed by Dr Hill, which led to the following recommendations:

Increase the number of native plants in the pond

Plants offer a valuable source of nutrition for wildlife, as well helping maintain a balanced ecosystem throughout the ponds.

The study suggests non-native planting should be kept to a minimum, due to the risks they pose towards one another.

Non-native plants listed to avoid include Crassula helmsii (also known as New Zealand pigmyweed) Lagarosiphon major (curly waterweed), Elodea nuttallii (western waterweed) and Myriophyllum aquaticum (parrot’s feather).

Top up with rainwater to reduce conductivity of the water

Lower conductivity levels help enable environmentally sensitive species to thrive, while fish food, potting compost and natural contaminants can affect conductivity as well.

The team behind the study also highlights the importance of having an array of species present in the pond to promote ecological uniqueness.

Dr Hill and the team also recommend that pond owners form community groups to provide aquatic species such as insects and snails from a mix of environments.

“People generally manage their ponds on an individual basis,” Dr Hill explains. “It would be better if they could be managed collectively as a group of ponds. We don’t want every pond to be the same, we want a wide range of environmental conditions for bugs.”

The full study can be found here.