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Biodiversity patterns of nutrient-rich fish ponds and implications for conservation

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  • Freshwater biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes
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Abstract

Nutrient-rich water bodies are usually expected to host low species richness at the local scale (water body). Nevertheless, they can support a diverse and sometimes unique biodiversity when diversity is considered at a regional scale. This discrepancy between the two scales is well documented for natural water bodies, but little is known about biodiversity of artificial water bodies, like fish ponds. We hypothesise that nutrient-rich water bodies can collectively host high species richness at the regional scale. Thus, these are important ecosystems for the regional conservation of biodiversity. We investigated 84 fish ponds in the Dombes region, France, with five taxonomic groups: macrophytes, phytoplankton, macroinvertebrates, dragonflies, and amphibians. Species richness patterns were determined for α- (single pond), β- (between ponds), and γ- (regional pond network) levels. For most studied species groups, richness per fish pond and at the regional level proved to be relatively high in comparison with natural ponds in other landscapes. Contribution of α-diversity to regional diversity was highest for dragonflies with 41 %, and lowest for amphibians and macrophytes with 16 and 18 %, respectively. For macroinvertebrate families and phytoplankton genera it was intermediate. Contribution of β-diversity to regional diversity was similar for all species groups with 22–25 %. Furthermore, some ponds hosted a large number of less frequent species and some endangered species, indicating that the conservation of biodiversity of fish ponds must be established at a regional scale.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the work of the many different persons who collected either water samples or species samples during the 3 years. In particular we thank Thomas Lhuillery and Mathieu Guérin for their large investment in the sampling and water analysis work. We also acknowledge the comments of the two reviewers which helped to significantly improve this paper. This study was supported by the French Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development through the DIVA2 programme, the Water Agency (Agence de l’Eau Rhône-Méditerranée-Corse) and the Rhône-Alpes Region. We sincerely thank the fish farmers who allowed us to work in and around their fish ponds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agroecology and Environment, ISARA Lyon, 23 rue Jean Baldassini, 69364, Lyon Cedex 07, France

    A. Wezel, B. Leroy, D. Vallod & J. Robin

  2. University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland, Hepia Geneva Technology, Architecture and Landscape, 1254, Jussy/Geneva, Switzerland

    B. Oertli, V. Rosset & S. Angélibert

  3. IRSTEA, UR Maly, Lyon, 69626, Villeurbanne, France

    V. Rosset

  4. UMR INRA 042 CARRTEL, University of Savoy, 73376, Le Bourget-du-Lac Cedex, France

    F. Arthaud

  5. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    R. Smith

  6. CNRS, UMR5023 “Laboratory of Ecology of Natural and Anthropised Hydrosystems”, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, 69622, Villeurbanne, France

    G. Bornette, D. Vallod & J. Robin

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  1. A. Wezel
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  2. B. Oertli
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  3. V. Rosset
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  4. F. Arthaud
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  5. B. Leroy
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  6. R. Smith
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  7. S. Angélibert
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  8. G. Bornette
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  9. D. Vallod
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  10. J. Robin
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Correspondence to A. Wezel.

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Wezel, A., Oertli, B., Rosset, V. et al. Biodiversity patterns of nutrient-rich fish ponds and implications for conservation. Limnology 15, 213–223 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10201-013-0419-7

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