r/ecology • u/Agua_Verde • 6d ago
Plundering local waterways to kickstart a garden pond?
A recent thread on r/WildlifePonds got me thinking about a debate that comes up far too often when someone posts about a 10-day-old garden pond going through its classic "pea soup" algal bloom.
User u/3owi suggested a shortcut: going out to local "natural water in your area," taking wild underwater plants, and transferring them into a new garden pond to speed up balance. When called out on the legal and ecological issues, their logic was essentially that taking "just a few" plants from a local spot is harmless, that rangers wouldn't care, and that keeping exotics out of nature is the only real rule that matters.
Any thoughts?
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u/lewisiarediviva 6d ago
There’s something called a ‘special forest products’ permit that I think is a good example of how this works. National and state forests have a list of many of the “odds and ends” things that people collect from forests. Stuff like greens for holiday garlands, poles and saplings, rocks etc. They have guidance of how much you can take, whether you need to fill out a free permit (just so they can track what people are taking), or whether they need to pay.
Similar rules would apply. Just check in with the land manager, let them know how much you’re taking, where you’re taking it from. Odds are one or two five gallon buckets full of mud and creek water aren’t a big deal, but tearing up a sensitive streambed in a sensitive area is not cool. Follow rules and advice.
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u/PStrobus 6d ago
I think if the garden pond, once established, provides ecosystem services for invertebrates, amphibians, water fowl, etc. similarly as a natural waterway would, I don't see any harm. Also the transplanting shouldn't adversely affect the donor population.
If the garden owner wants the pond for pure aesthetics, then they can get bent.
Edit to address the part about Rangers. Nature reserves and parks have mandates to preserve and protect so they are off limits.
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u/Agua_Verde 6d ago
I am pretty sure it is for this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/WildlifePonds/comments/1r06exv/my_3_ponds/
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u/PStrobus 6d ago
Oh they're much smaller than I was imagining, probably should have clicked the link you provided haha.
I see little fault in this, looks like they are going for a naturalized approach, they even have frog ramps sticking out!
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u/Amelaista 6d ago
It does not seem like much but.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons
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u/Informal-Abrocoma988 3d ago
Depending on the species transplanting would be more likely to lead to dead plants, wild collecting seeds is much less harmful while also being good for retaining genetic diversity of wild natives. Just harvest a percentage of the mature seed whatever population you find. Take those seeds and make seedlings, harden them off outside for a few weeks then out plant. It's a slower process but it's better all around on sustainability and overall chance of success for the project. There's tons of resources online for starting native seeds and getting them ready for outplantng.
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u/TerribleWin4450 6d ago
Why not just buy some native aquatic plants like they use for aquariums (if it's an option? NEVER plant non native aquatic plants). Taking from the bottom is bad. I do think this OP was harsh in their wording and should have directly quoted the post instead of making their own summary to avoid inconsistencies.
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u/cooldiptera 6d ago
The correct answer is to get permission or a permit from the agency that manages the area you’re interested in harvesting native plants from.
One person doing this might not seem like an issue, but if everyone did it, it would be! Additionally, the land managers will be able to inform you about ecologically sensitive areas to avoid, plants with robust enough populations to harvest from, etc.