Urban pond macroinvertebrate biodiversity in Greater Kuala Lumpur: Landscape-scale patterns and implications for management

Ponds are common features in urban landscapes globally, often constructed for water retention and amenity functions, but are increasingly recognised as important habitats for the conservation of biodiversity. However, research on urban pond biodiversity patterns from species-rich tropical regions remains limited. The objectives of this study were to: (i) characterise pond macroinvertebrate biodiversity across 28 ponds in Greater Kuala Lumpur (GKL), (ii) identify the drivers of landscape-scale macroinvertebrate community composition, and (iii) provide recommendations for management. High macroinvertebrate community heterogeneity was recorded among the urban ponds, primarily driven by turnover (85%). Redundancy Analysis (RDA) showed that the proportion of built land cover surrounding ponds and the extent of aquatic vegetation cover were important for explaining the variation in macroinvertebrate community composition (adj.R2 = 0.07; p = 0.001). To support aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity, the management of urban ponds should aim to increase aquatic vegetation cover, reduce suspended sediment levels, and ensure pond environmental heterogeneity at the landscape scale to maintain beta diversity. The study shows the high ecological value of urban ponds in GKL, despite their anthropogenic origins and functions.