Pond
The Goriška cross-border area and its surroundings are characterised by big differences in the rock substrate, which strongly influence the occurrence of small standing water bodies. In the Vipava Valley, impermeable flysch predominates, causing water to remain on the surface. As a result, streams, wet meadows, and small ponds are more common there. Completely different conditions rule in the Karst, where permeable limestone allows for the quick sinking of water into the underground. Natural standing water bodies are therefore rare, which is why people in the past had to make traditional karst ponds for livestock and water supply. Similarly, west of Gorizia, on the gravel deposits of the Soča (Isonzo) River and the Friuli Plain, water often drains quickly into the ground, so small standing water bodies are relatively rare and are of great importance for biodiversity conservation.
Which plant and animal species are going to inhabit a pond depends on its size, depth, sun exposure and position in the landscape. Dragonflies, mayflies and some other insects spend part of their lives as larvae in the water before transforming into adult insects that live among the vegetation along the pond banks. The same is true for frogs, which start their lives as spawn (eggs) in water and then develop from tadpoles into adult frogs. In addition to larger animals and plants, ponds are also inhabited by many tiny organisms that can only be observed under a magnifying glass or microscope.
Today, small standing water bodies are threatened by overgrowth, deliberate infilling, urbanisation, pollution and the introduction of non-native species, such as goldfish and aquarium turtles. These animals may seem attractive at first glance, but in a pond, they can cause major changes that negatively affect native species.
Urban ponds, such as the pond in Borov gozdiček in Nova Gorica, are especially valuable because they represent a point of contact between people and nature. Among willows (Salix spp.), reed (Phragmites australis), bulrushes (Typha latifolia) and yellow irises (Iris pseudacorus), many species, such as mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), moorhens (Gallinula chloropus), amphibians and numerous invertebrates find shelter. Such places serve as reminders that nature is present not only in distant protected areas, but also right next to the city and in our immediate surroundings.