WHAT IS A POND?
A pond is a small area of still, fresh water. It is different from a river or a stream because it does not have moving water and it differs from a lake because it has a small area and is no more than around 1.8m deep. Some ponds are formed naturally, filled either by an underwater spring, or by rainwater – sometimes known as ‘dewponds’; other ponds are man-made. POND PLANTS If a pond is to be a successful habitat it must have plants growing in it. They provide food, oxygen and shelter for the animals. Green plants need sunlight to make their food (photosynthesis) so a pond in the open will be more successful than one in the shade. The smallest plants in a pond are the microscopic phytoplankton and these provide most of the food in a pond. The phytoplankton and larger algae form the first part of the pond’s food chains. Plant-eating animals – the herbivores – eat the plants and the herbivores are eaten by carnivores (meat eating animals). Pond vegetation grows in areas called zones. Pla
