these wetlands that must be protected

Rémi Luglia, president of the national society for the protection of nature is at the origin of the feast of the ponds. He is the guest of Catherine Pottier. This annual and national event is coordinated by the National Society for the Protection of Nature. The theme of this 7th edition, “The ponds, allies of the living”refers to the importance of the biodiversity of ponds and wetlands, and the importance of preserving these environments which are currently very threatened.

In a century, 90% of ponds have disappeared in the territory, yet they contribute to the protection of fauna and flora, but also to the regulation and purification of water.

“The ponds are very specific ecological ecosystems because everything is in interaction, explains Rémi Luglia. LPonds are often organized into a network. They are rarely isolated, and it is common to find another wetland 100 or 200 meters away, which helps to weave a network of life.

The networks found in these places are rich and complex. We can mention the procession of amphibians, newts, toads, frogs, but also insects, dragonflies without forgetting the plants that abound in these wetlands. All these species are interdependent (the reed warblers make their nests on the reeds, the newts wrap their eggs in the leaves of aquatic plants, etc.).

There are also different varieties depending on the body of water. Local factors such as the climate, the geological nature of the soils, the size or the depth of the ponds, can favor the presence of such and such a species, which makes each place a unique place.

The ponds, which were once in large numbers, have disappeared over time. You should know that 95% of the ponds listed on the territory were created by man, because they were useful for the agricultural systems of the past. With the mechanization and modernization of agriculture, these wetlands have lost their economic utility and they have been abandoned or filled in.

“They have gradually become roundabouts, industrial areas or residential areas”, laments the president of the National Society for the Protection of Nature. Their quality has also deteriorated because they are poorly maintained and regularly soiled by polluted water. However, these places are still necessary for certain human activities such as irrigation, drinking water supply, or fishing.

The ponds and all the wet zones make it possible to absorb the “overflows” of water in the event of overflows or abundant rains. They make it possible to recharge the water tables when it rains, but they are also a means of supplying them in times of drought. “They have a role in water regulation”, explains Rémi Luglia, who cites the example of runoff water linked to road infrastructures or rainwater discharged from the roofs of buildings.

When these waters arrive or pass through the ponds, this helps to regulate their flows. Ponds and wetlands also contribute to the storage and natural purification of water. By retaining and transforming many pollutants, they protect all living things!

Like the oceans, ponds help to mitigate the effects of climate change. Worldwide, all farm ponds cover around 5,000 times less space than the oceans, but their biological activity is 10,000 times more sustained because the temperatures there are much higher, which intensifies the biological mechanisms.

They store more organic carbon than all the seas and oceans on the planet. The ponds are real micro-climatic capsules because they contribute to the reduction of heat islands, by offering cooler temperatures and permanent humidity with the process of evaporation.

Today ponds are increasingly threatened by human activity, chemically, physically and biologically. The protection of wetlands has been the subject of a European directive, but Rémi Luglia believes that the best action to save and safeguard these bodies of water is still personal initiative. Do not backfill the ponds and maintain them.

“Protecting a pond means letting it live while avoiding degrading it and making it disappear, to tell the truth, it’s quite simple.”

Remi Luglia

at franceinfo