A survey of the aquatic macro-invertebrate communities of the Isle of Wight Pond and Western Hollow Pond, Bookham Common

The aquatic macro-invertebrate communities of the Isle of Wight Pond and the Western Hollow Pond at Bookham Common were surveyed in June 1993. Both ponds supported more than 40 taxa of macro-invertebrate, although the smaller pond supported more taxa than the larger water body. Analysis of community structure by Jaccard's Coefficient of Similarity indicates that the faunas were not dissimilar, although the coleopteran component of the two faunas was very different. The apparent similarity may have been an artefact caused by immigration of fauna via a feeder stream connecting the two ponds. It is suggested that the Isle of Wight Pond maintains a less diverse macro-invertebrate fauna than the Western Hollow Pond due to the presence of a high fish population and consequent lack of macrophytes.