Summary of Findings - STRIVE Report 80 (Freshwater Biodiversity in the Irish Agricultural Landscape: The Significance of Ponds)
Summary: Summary of Findings - STRIVE Report 80
Conserving freshwater biodiversity is a top priority of the United Nations International Decade for Action ‘Water for Life’ (2005-2015). Ponds, particularly those in the agricultural landscape, may play a major role in supporting freshwater biodiversity at the local, regional, and also at the national level. A survey of vascular plants and water beetles (Coleoptera) was conducted at over 100 farmland ponds and chemical data was collected. A statistical protocol to analyse the relationship between biological and environmental data in ponds was developed. A statistical protocol to analyse the relationship between multiple taxonomic groups was also developed. This allowed identifying the best predictors of pond biodiversity. It also allowed evaluating the effectiveness of the use of information on the composition of the vegetation in ponds as a surrogate for pond biodiversity in preliminary and cost-effective biodiversity assessments.
Also available for download:Print-Quality Version (i.e. high resolution PDF) of STRIVE Report 80.
