University College London (UCL)’s Pond Restoration Research Group (PRRG) identified the actions necessary to restore pond biodiversity in UK lowland farmland and initiated the multi-partner Norfolk Ponds Project.
Issue
Since the 1950s, many UK farmland ponds have been deliberately in-filled to reclaim land, creating so-called “ghost ponds”. At the same time, a reduction in traditional pond management, involving tree and sediment removal, has resulted in remaining UK farmland ponds becoming increasingly overgrown and shaded by trees.
Impact
The Norfolk Ponds Project (NPP) was established as a partnership between UCL, local farmers, Norfolk County Council, Natural England, Anglian Water, Norfolk Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), and five NGOs.
NPP has led to and informed pond restoration work in Norfolk at around 200 sites, as well as more widely in Gloucestershire, Lancashire, and Suffolk.
A year-round study of farmland bird use of recently restored ponds showed bird abundance and species richness, as well as foraging and parental behaviour, to be significantly higher at restored ponds.
The research has also informed the strategic priorities of the National Trust’s ‘Riverlands’ catchment conservation project.
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How to cite
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) (2023) Restoring farmland ponds. Available at https://rgs.org/restoringfarmlandponds Last accessed on: <date>