Emperor dragonflies are Britain's largest dragonfly and require large, well-oxygenated garden and nature reserve ponds, with their presence indicating high ecological water quality.
Emperor larvae in polluted or oxygen-depleted ponds face reduced survival and developmental problems. Adults denied adequate territory access face stress from inter-male conflict. Pond management practices including fish stocking and dredging at inappropriate times can destroy larval populations. The welfare of individual dragonflies depends on water quality, vegetation structure and territory availability around breeding ponds.