Ponds and small lakes

Nearly everyone has some kind of pond or small lake nearby. It could be a village pond or a pond in a garden, park or nature reserve. They are all around us, but there is still much that we do not understand about them.

Ponds and small lakes support an extremely rich biodiversity of fascinating organisms. Many people have tried pond-dipping and encountered a few unfamiliar creatures, such as dragonfly nymphs and caddisfly larvae. However,there is a far richer world of microscopic organisms, such as diatoms, desmids and rotifers, which is revealed in this book. Anyone with access to a microscope can open up this hidden dimension. Identification keys are provided so that readers can identify, explore and study this microscopic world. There are also many suggestions of ways in which readers can then make original contributions to our knowledge and understanding of pond ecology. It is not even necessary to have access to a pond to be able to study them because artificial ponds that will quickly develop communities of microorganisms can be created easily from jam jars or plastic buckets filled with rainwater.

The book not only explores the fascinating world of the creatures within ponds and their interactions, but also explains the many ways in which ponds are important in human affairs. Ponds are being lost around the world, but they are a key part of a system that maintains our climate. In the face of climate change, it has never been more important to understand the ecology of ponds.

Sadly, Brian Moss, the author, was diagnosed with terminal cancer towards the end of writing the book. Despite this, he continued to work hard on it, knowing his time was limited. Only the acknowledgements were not completed. He passed away in May 2016, before the book was published. Brian's interest, enthusiasm and commitment to ponds live on in this book. I am confident that this book will enable more people to appreciate and investigate these fascinating and important habitats.

William D.J. Kirk, July 2016