01 Mar. 2016 - Matteo Ruocco

Assessing biodiversity in ponds of central Emilia

Presenta: Matteo Ruocco

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

There are more than 304 millions of water bodies on our planet, and ponds represent more than the 90% of the total number and the 30% in terms of occupied surface. Functionally different from lakes, they offer a high variability of habitats and that makes them important biodiversity hotspots. Despite their high value, they are nowadays among the most threatened aquatic ecosystems and still receive scant attention in political and legislative spheres.
To interrupt this trend and highlight the importance of ponds in central Emilia (Italy), a biodiversity index (IBEM) has been applied to 28 ponds. This will permit to better know the condition of such important biodiversity hotspots in an area where these habitats are still little studied. Results could lead future management actions to preserve, protect and improve the value of these habitats. First results of this study will be presented and discussed.

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