Biodiversity of small water biotopes: parallel, intersecting or skew?

The submitted project is focusing on biodiversity of natural and anthropogenic small size aquatic biotopes with stagnant water (ponds) in Slovakia. In Europe, ponds form a significant part of the continental freshwater resource with an enormous natural and social value. Ponds often represent "hot spots" of biodiversity and usually dwell more species than larger water bodies. The project has an ambition to reflect the all-European call for research of small water biotopes (European Pond Conservation Network manifesto), to which no appropriate attention have been paid both in Slovakia and worldwide. The main objective of the project is complex description of the diversity of macrophytes and important groups of invertebrates (Odonata, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Plecoptera and Diptera) inhabiting various types of ponds in Slovakia. Practical objective of the project is to characterize conditions, which will assure preservation of the highest biodiversity of ponds and to identify indicator taxonomic group or groups with potential to represent the overall biodiversity of these biotopes. We intend to propose a series of guidelines for conservation practitioners to preserve and maintain high biodiversity of ponds.