Aquatic macroinvertebrate and macrophyte records from 31 ponds in the Geneva area (Switzerland, 2021-2022)

This set contains aquatic macroinvertebrate and macrophyte data collected in 2021 and 2022 in 31 ponds around Geneva, Switzerland, as part of a study on the benefits of pond creation for biodiversity. The following files are available (in both .csv and .txt formats): - "PondInfo" contains information on the surveyed ponds (including name, location, surface, perimeter);- "inv_data" contains the macroinvertebrate data;- "veg_data" contains the macrophyte data;- "Metadata" describes all variables found in the files mentioned above. Aquatic macroinvertebrate and macrophyte data were collected as part of the PONDERFUL project following a standardised protocol. Aquatic macroinvertebrates were sampled in May 2021 (for all ponds except one, sampled in 2022) with a small-framed hand net (mesh size 0.5 mm, rectangular frame 14 x 10 cm). At each pond, the net was vigorously swept in the water for 2 minutes (about 80 sweeps of 1 m). The collected specimens were picked alive from the sample in the laboratory. Only specimens belonging to Gastropoda, Coleoptera, Ephemeroptera, Odonata and Trichoptera were sorted and then identified to species level where possible. Macrophyte species (submerged, floating and emergent) were recorded during the vegetation period (July-August 2021). Macrophytes were inventoried as exhaustively as possible by surveying the entire surface of the ponds. Macrophytes were identified to species level where possible, and abundance classes were attributed to each taxon following the DAFOR scale. Only aquatic taxa were kept for the analysis, following a list from Indermuehle et al. (2010, https://doi.org/10.23818/limn.29.08).