If you’re fortunate enough to live near a natural pond and have spent time during the year observing it, you know that natural ponds endure the seasons quite well. From the frozen dead of winter to the intense heat of summer, they maintain a biological balance that ensures the continued existence of the plants, animals and insects that depend on them.
The same cannot be said for ornamental ponds. Besides the fact that most ornamental ponds are significantly smaller than most natural ponds, the life contained in them has been added by the pondkeeper and rarely represents local native fish or vegetation. And the ratio of fish to plants is typically the reverse of natural ponds — as much as 90 percent of the biomass in a natural pond is plants, not fish.
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