Course Sample for Our Daily Discoveries Homeschool Science Course

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Pond Life: Introduction, Plants

A pond is a small body of fresh water. Some are called vernal pools – meaning that they are only found for a few months of the years when there is an abundance of water, usually in the springtime.

The size of the water doesn’t make it a pond. It is the depth. It must be shallow enough for the sunlight to reach and sustain plant life on the bottom. If it is too dark and cold for plants to grow in the deepest part, then it is called a lake.

A pond is home to a special group of plants and animals. Not only do they depend on it for their water, but each species depends on the others for food. Microorganisms and insects eat algae. Fish and frogs eat the insects, and larger animals prey on them.

The stagnant waters of a pond and its many plants provide a safe place for a variety of animals to lay their eggs. Ducks and geese camouflage their nests in the cattails. Frogs and fish eggs develop among the stems of the water lilies. Muskrats burrow in the muddy banks. A pond is a busy place.