Pond Life

Have you ever had a fish tank? Notice all the tubes running in and out of it, a few plants that you planted. If it weren't for the fish food you add everyday,this ecosystem and the life it supports wouldn't survive. This pond is also an ecosystem, but it can provide its own food.

In order to support a diverse group of plants and animals, habitat diversity is important. When a location is able to provide many different habitats for various species this diversity leads to connected, yet very different, types of environments. At this site near the pond, there is a nexus of meadow (to your left and behind you), young successional forest (to your right), and mature conifers such as the white pine you may note off in front of you. This is a special place for so many reasons! In addition to the differing habitats, there is also the critical resource of freshwater that this pond provides. The water benefits all the plants and animals around, as everything needs clean water to drink. The water also provides benefits for amphibians and insects - as adult critters and larval youths. Pond life provides a springboard for all life around - from the drinking water, larval habitat, and food resources that "spill" over from the pond itself.