Great Crested Newts

Great Crested Newts - our largest of the UK’s native newts, so named for the impressive crest of the male during breeding season. What is not so impressive is the sharp decline that is being seen in numbers of this European Protected Species. Sadly, this has been reflected within the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the staff who conduct annual surveys under license, using the recorded data to monitor population trends.

It is estimated that in Britain we lost over 50% of the breeding population of Great Crested Newts in the 1960s and that we continue to lose 2% of the remaining population every five years. Fortunately for us in North East Wales, we are a potential stronghold with the privilege and the opportunity to do what we can for the species. How? You may ask.

The Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB is home to a great diversity safe havens for nature. All of these habitat types are vitally important in supporting our native flora and fauna but one particularly wonderful habitat that the AONB plays host to is that of ponds.

Tucked away in forests, on the top of hills or even those found in your gardens, the freshwater habitat of a pond supports a wealth of species, including our native newts. Like many of our habitats though, the number of ponds, especially those in a good condition, is in decline. As part of the winter works programme, the AONB team has been working with landowners and contractors to tackle the issue.

In pond habitats, in as little as 2 years, vegetation can grow and shade out other plant species that we want to encourage for their diversity. The opportunistic plants also drop their dead organic matter into the pond, resulting in a build-up of ‘silt’ in the pond area and ultimately reducing the suitability of the pond for many species of wildlife.

This is not to say that all ponds should be deep non-vegetated water. Great Crested Newts lay their eggs in aquatic vegetation so require there to be vegetated margins. A mosaic of habitat types is instead promoted by including vegetation and deep and shallow water areas to cater for as many species as possible.

To achieve this mosaic, when the silt material is removed from the bottom of the pond, some deep water areas are de-silted extensively and in others only the very top of the soil is removed in a shallow scrape. This sort of scrape can create a useful seasonal pond that may dry up, or an area of water perfect as a nursery for some species to lay their eggs. Once it is removed the silt is first placed on the banks of the pond and left, allowing anything that is hiding in it or the surrounding vegetation to escape back into the pond. The silt can then be used to landscape the area, creating additional small bodies of water and hibernacula for Great Crested Newts to hibernate in through the winter months.

Key to the success of these pond works for the benefit of our Great Crested Newts and other pond dwelling species though, is connectivity. That network of ponds and small water bodies that allow the free movement of these species between populations. Isolation is detrimental to most populations so this ongoing project has been about restoring and creating ponds in a mosaic pattern – some old, some new and all variations in between but, ultimately, all as connected as possible.

When it comes to pond works the work truly is never done, but the ongoing reward of seeing a pond restored to a blank canvas for nature to take over is wonderful. The next chapter will be waiting with baited breath to see which species decide to call these ponds home!