nice iniciative taken by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

There was a very small man made pond at the end of the Jurassic and Fossils park. Interestingly the children were interacting a lot with the creatures inside the pond. Cat fishes and tortoise were clearly visible. One thing was understood the children were highly excited to see and interact to the responding creatures in the pond. Then and there came the idea that if that fresh water ecosystem is presented to them in an exciting manner they surely will get excited and in long term conscious about the conservation of nature themselves.

Today in the morning at 8:30 am boarded the NID bus going to gandhinagar campus and then to got to Indroda Park for collecting information. Since today there was a match in the Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera a lot of pepsi add campaigns were vissible and could see the floodlights while the bus passed by the stadium.





After reaching Indroda park we forwarded towards the Jurassic and Fossils park. The entrance gate was very interesting and attractive. While entering the park saw a man instructing some school kids about the dinosaurs that once existed in this planet. Later came to know the person was Rao ji bhai who was a instructor at the park and has worked in GSI prior to this with a lot of geologists and has a lot of experience in identifying fossils in the kutch region.




Observed a whole lot of different types of 1:1 ration of dinosaurs models that existed once and thr information graphics about them. Rao ji Bhai also gave us the information about lot of prehistoric fossils and how they were bought into that park.

A pond ecosystem is a complex interdependent system of plants, animals and microorganisms along with the physical environment in which they live. Pond ecology depends first and foremost on the freshwater environment for nutrients and survival.

Ponds are usually shallow, which allows sunlight to reach organisms growing on the bottom. A freshwater pond ecosystem consists of a four habitats, populated by three types of organisms that live in four different habitats. Every element of a pond ecosystem works in conjunction with the others to maintain balance.

Organisms in a Pond Ecosystem

Fishes, plants, algae, fungi, and microorganisms in the pond ecology fall into three categories:

• Producers - those that provide or are food for other species.
• Consumers - those that partake of the food provided by Producers.
• Decomposers - those that decompose and consume dead organisms

Habitats in the Pond Ecology Ecosystem

A habitat is a structure or environment which provides the needed elements for the life of an organism. A pond is made up of four interdependent habitats:

• Shore Habitat - The organisms that inhabit the shore habitat are dependent upon what kind of shoreline exists. Some shorelines may not be conducive to plant growth, where others may contain all four of the predominant pond ecosystem organisms.
• Surface Film - Insects such as water striders and other organisms able to walk or float on the surface inhabit the surface of the pond ecosystem. They feed on the floating plants, dead insects and even each other when need arises.
• Open Water - Fishes and plankton inhabit this third habitat of the pond. Phytoplankton (algae) and zooplankton (insect larvae, invertebrates, rotifier, and tiny crustaceans) are present as well.
• Bottom Water - Bottom habitat varies according to the depth of the pond. Shallow ponds with sandy bottoms may contain insects, earthworms, and snails. A deep pond with a muddy bottom will contain dragonfly nymphs, microorganisms, maggots, and flatworms.

The Pond Ecosystem Food Chain

In order to live, all organisms must eat. A food chain is a hierarchical system of consumption. There are three basic levels in the food chain of a pond.

• Producers or autotrophs: Made up of phytoplankton and plants, these organisms use sunlight and photosynthesis to create their own food.
• Herbivores: Insects, invertebrates and crustaceans which consume the plants.
• Carnivores: Fishes and other organisms which can feed on both plants and herbivores.

The decomposers, or sapotrophs, are at the very bottom of the food chain. Mostly comprised of fungi and bacteria, these organisms are vital to the nutrient cycle, as they convert all dead into carbon dioxide and nutrients that can be readily use by algae and plants to produce food.

Maintaining a Pond Ecosystem

When a pond ecology ecosystem is in balance, you have healthy plants and fit fish. When that balance is disrupted, you have a murky, unhealthy mess. Learning as much as you can about how to maintain your pond is the only way to assure a clear, beautiful pond that operates well on all levels, and supports all its elements.

Whether natural or man made, a pond is something that has to be watched over and kept up to assure that it, and the creatures that inhabit it, stay as healthy and disease free as possible.