PONDS AND POOLS, ECOLOGICAL ASSETS
In the Middle Ages, ponds were essential for the supply of fish to the population, thanks to fish farming and carp breeding. Later, they were reclaimed and drained to make way for agricultural fields or even residential areas. It is estimated that more than half of the ponds in Europe disappeared during the 20th century.
Today, we are finding a use for these natural areas which provide several ecological services. Areas are being rehabilitated and ponds are being recreated to study their effects on the environment.
A CLIMATE ALLY
A pond allows many aquatic or semi-aquatic plants to grow and act as a carbon sink. The plants sequester CO2 as they grow and the water also absorbs this gas when it comes into contact with them.
This ecosystem partly regulates the causes of global warming by reducing the level of greenhouse gases. On a regional or national scale, ponds have a considerable positive impact if they are placed in the agricultural landscape. In France, there are an estimated one million ponds.
Alongside the ponds, there are often riparian forests, which are wooded areas adjoining the wetlands. The riparian zone structures the soil and acts as an ecological buffer to the other environments. The wetland is therefore complementary to the other natural areas in the landscape, which creates an area that is favourable to the reduction of temperatures with the appearance of microclimates.
SHELTER FOR BIODIVERSITY
The pond is also a major habitat for biodiversity, with almost 70% of freshwater animal species making their home there. Species that enter the food chain of animals from other environments and that are essential to the natural balance of ecosystems.
The pond guarantees the survival of many organisms in our environment. We can think of amphibians, some pollinators, but also the famous dragonfly and its numerous specimens. Migratory and non-migratory birds also use it as a resting and feeding place. The pond is a reservoir of biodiversity.
DRAGONFLY MINUTE
The dragonfly is the symbol of our Art of Living. It evolves, in balance, between the elements, between Heaven and Earth and makes us see the beauties of Nature. Sensitive to the quality of a natural environment, it invites us to preserve the ecosystems that guarantee our well-being. Spirit of transformation, metamorphosis, she inspires us to reconnect to the essential and to seek harmony every day.
Here is our list of discoveries that tell its story and its evolution:
My life as a dragonflypublished by La Salamandre
This album, with its rare images, tells the story of the evolution of this sensitive and elegant creature, which has been evolving between land, sky and water for millions of years.
Guide des Libellules de France , published by Delachaux et Niestlé
This book contains over a thousand illustrations, with full scientific descriptions to help identify all the species in Europe.
The Call of the Dragonfliesproduced by La Salamandre
This poetic reportage exposes the spectacular metamorphoses of the dragonfly. It questions the relationship between Man and his environment and the management of wetlands.
PRESERVE LAND AND WATER
Wetlands filter water deep into the ground and purify it through the roots of trees and rocks. They recharge the water table and help prevent overflow and flooding.
They make a resource accessible, while at the same time preserving and depolluting it. On the scale of an entire territory, the pond is a regulator of the natural flow of water.
It is a space to rediscover, where you can reconnect with nature, like the Domaine des Etangs in Charente Limousine, which offers a stay close to this environment. https://domainedesetangs.com/fr/
DIGGING A POND AT HOME
You can also dig a small pond in your garden to provide a home for biodiversity. To do this, you need to follow a few essential steps.
First of all, find the hollow in your garden, i.e. the point where the slopes meet. If possible, avoid digging next to a large tree or in a corner too exposed to the sun.
Remove the first layer of soil and keep it. Then dig not in a round shape, but in steps of 30, 50, 80 and 120 cm depth.
Place a geotextile in the bottom and a waterproof tarpaulin on top, cut to fit the shape of the pond.
Fill the pond with water and a little soil at the bottom and cover the edges with your saved soil and some stones.
You can put in this new space aquatic plants from your region, in vats, so as not to upset the surrounding ecosystems, preferably oxygenating plants. Fish are not recommended if you want to see a beautiful biodiversity develop.
You can find further advice on how to take care of living things in the book Le guide Nature, Au bord de l'eau published by La Salamandre. A book that presents and describes for children the species of ponds and pools.
Wetlands can be integrated into new patterns of agriculture. They represent a challenge and a solution to contemporary ecological problems. Placed in our territories, they reinvite biodiversity and allow us to see new and fertile horizons.
*p.s. Setting up your pond between March and September is the perfect time to invite life into your pond before winter and see nature flourish.