A meeting held in Toulouse, France, from 23rd to 25th February 2006 and co-organised by the University Paul Sabatier ToulouseIII & CNRS (France), Pôle Relais Mares et Mouillères de France (France), University of Applied Sciences of WesternSwitzerland (Switzerland), University of Geneva (Switzerland), Pond Conservation (UK), University of Leuven (Belgium).

A set of 21 ponds was sampled three times for odonate larvae during spring 2002. At the same time 17 environmental variableswere recorded including area, wet phase duration, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, aquatic macrophytes and land use. Atotalof 16 odonate species belonging to Lestidae, Coenagrionidae, Aeshnidae and Libellulidae were recorded, and the total numberof species per pond varied from zero to six. The relationships between species richness, assemblages and environmental variableswere studied by simple and multiple correlation and by Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). The results showed thatpermanent ponds were larger, deeper, had more macrophyte species, had more extensive macrophytes cover and lower concentrationsof nitrogen and phosphorus than temporary ponds. Multiple regression analysis showed that the number of odonate specieswas positively affected firstly by the number of macrophyte species, and then by pond depth. However, pond depth appearedto be interchangeable with several others variables, such as pond area and water duration and negatively correlated withnitrogen concentration, variables which are all linked with the permanent or temporary status of the ponds. CCA analysis indicatedthat odonate species presence was linked with a few environmental variables, showing a tendency of Odonata to avoidponds with higher nitrogen concentrations, with the exception of Lestes barbarus, a species typical of temporary water in centralItaly. At the same time, the majority of species were linked with longer water phase duration and with greater macrophytespecies richness. Acomparison with previous studies, and in particular with those carried out in central Italy, confirmed the positiveinfluence of macrophytes, water duration, and also the negative effect of nutrient load. However, several other variables,in particular land use, shade, presence of fish, which were influential in other studies, were not significant in this study.

Diatoms are good environmental indicators and are often the main component of phytobenthos, one of the key groups of organismsrecommended by the Water Framework Directive (W.F.D.) for the assessment of ecological status of surface waters.Although diatoms are regularly used as indicators in rivers and in lakes, less is known about the benthic diatom communities inwetland systems, especially in Italy. The main aim of the project was to provide a contribution to the knowledge on distribution,composition and structure of benthic diatom communities in wetland systems in Italy. In 2005, we investigated the benthic diatomcommunities and their relationships to water variables of nine ponds and wetlands along the Tyrrhenian coast near Rome.Furthermore, a first application of seven European diatom-based indices on this type of water body was undertaken. A total of225 species and varieties belonging to 54 genera were identified. The Canonical Correspondence Analysis indicated that certainspecies were closely associated with each wetland type and their distribution mainly depended on nutrient and chloride contents:pollution tolerant species (i. e. Luticola goeppertiana, Mayamaea atomus, Navicula subminuscula) in the wetlands connected toriver mouths, halophilous species and also marine littoral species (i. e. Nitzschia elegantula, Amphora coffeaeformis, Achnanthesbrevipes var. intermedia, Epithemia adnata var. porcellus) in the coastal brackish ponds and wetlands, and less eutrophic species(i. e. Achnanthidium minutissimum, A. biasolettianum) in the lowland freshwater wetland. In general, the indices classifiedmost of the studied water bodies as bad, poor and moderate status; few sites were classified into a good class, even for at leastin one sampling occasion. Eutrophication and Pollution Index (EPI-D), Trophic Diatom Index (TDI), Taxa Pollution Tolerant(%PT), Pollution Sensitivity Index (IPS) and Generic Diatom Index (IDG) were significantly correlated to nutrient contents inthe studied wetlands. Our preliminary data set illustrated the potential of the use of these benthic algae as bioindicators in wetlands.

Romania has a unique diversity of large branchiopods in Europe, but the present distribution of species is poorly documented.This note is a summary of a survey aimed at a rapid assessment of large branchiopod occurrence and frequency at a landscapelevel. The survey was conducted in ten landscapes, and it lasted from 2004 to 2006, recording fifteen species. Most species(80%) were only found in one or two landscapes, showing large differences in species composition between landscapes andpossibly an underestimation of some species. Four landscapes had a frequency of large branchiopod habitats greater than 30%and together contained all the species found during the survey. Based on the relatively large detection probabilities found duringthis survey we suggest that a country-level distribution database could be done in a short time period (in a few years) even withfew participants. Target areas for further distribution surveys should be the localities described in the published literature, flatlands and middle to large river valleys.

We studied the status of Crested newt (Triturus cristatus superspecies) ponds in the province of Salzburg during the years 2004and 2005. Historical and current distribution data were collected and compared. In the end of 2004, 51 ponds with Crested newtrecords of which 39 still existed were known in Salzburg. In 2005 we carried out a monitoring of these ponds using a combinationof three survey methods. Presence or absence of adult and larval Crested newts and the number of syntopic amphibian specieswere recorded. Detection probabilities and the effects of seven characteristic pond features on pond occupancy were calculatedfor adult and larval newts separately. We observed a strong decline of ponds occupied by Crested newts with presence of adultsin 22 and presence of larvae in 16 surveyed ponds, respectively. Detection probabilities imply that we detected all ponds occupiedby adults and larvae. Key habitat features for Crested newt presence are low degree of shading for adults and larvae as wellas a high density of submerged vegetation for larvae. Pond size and depth are not significant. Furthermore we recorded a significantlyhigher number of amphibian species in ponds occupied by Crested newts. Our results might aid in the implementationof sustainable measures for a conservation of these critically endangered species in the province of Salzburg.

Sediment and plant-associated macroinvertebrates were sampled in six shallow water bodies along the central part of the coastof Mediterranean Spain. The size of ponds, salinity and hydroperiod were highly variable. Seventy-one taxa were recorded, someof them were endemic or uncommon species, evidencing the important contribution of these ponds to biodiversity. Crustaceansand gastropods of biogeographical interest were found in the most primeval site. Correspondence analysis showed that macroinvertebrateassemblages responded to environmental variables such as salinity, temporality and eutrophication. The brackishwater fauna was dominated by crustaceans, while oligochaeta and insect larvae were abundant in freshwater conditions.Oligochaetes were abundant at localities with high trophic level, whereas localities with semi-permanent waters were dominatedby chironomids. The density of macroinvertebrates was clearly related with trophic state but we did not find significant relationshipsbetween density and salinity or water permanence. For plant associated samples our results showed negative relationshipsbetween species richness and temporality or salinity, contrary to sediment samples, where the Oligochaeta/Chironomidaeratio in sediments and the percentage of sensitive taxa (Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Trichoptera) were useful indices, and weredependent on pond typology. This study emphasizes the broad ecological variety of ponds found in these wetlands and theirimportance for biodiversity. Some ponds act as permanent biodiversity reservoirs in fluctuant marshes with seasonal dryness,calling for more attention on their ecological relevance for management strategies.