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An overview of freshwater fish variety worldwide and the variables influencing trends in variation between and within river basins are given in this review. Continental freshwater ecosystems are highly diverse and species-rich, housing nearly 18,000 species of fish (>50% of all fish species) in <0.5% of the total land area and providing a negligible (<0.01%) share of the planet's water supply. Large lowland tropical river basins such as the Amazon, Congo, and Mekong basins are home to the greatest freshwater fish diversity. Freshwater species of fish depth variation at the global magnitude is correlated with the total amount and variation of aquatic habitats and the environment's equilibrium overtime during the evolution of scales. The river continuum concept states that there is a predictable shift in fish species depth, diversity of species, and functional characteristics along gradients of environment from headwater to estuary. The ongoing trade of minerals and organic matter related to nearby floodplains is a strong factor in the number and variety of riverine fishes in most parts of the world (the flood pulse concept). Without coordinated conservation efforts, freshwater fishes will suffer significant losses in abundance and diversity due to the numerous threats they currently face worldwide. However, further development, adaptation, training, and guidance are needed. New technologies based on water conservation, suitable species, and local traditions are needed. Waste materials and local feed additives can also be used. Farmers should be provided with the necessary training and information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater wetlands are the wetland ecosystems surrounded by freshwater, which are at the interface of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, and are rich in ecological composition and function. Biodiversity in freshwater wetlands plays a key role in maintaining the stability of their habitat functions. Due to anthropogenic interference and global change, the biodiversity of freshwater wetlands decreases, which in turn destroys the habitat function of freshwater wetlands and leads to serious degradation of wetlands. An in-depth understanding of the effects of biodiversity on the stability of habitat function and its regulation in freshwater wetlands is crucial for wetland conservation. Therefore, this paper reviews the environmental drivers of habitat function stability in freshwater wetlands, explores the effects of plant diversity and microbial diversity on habitat function stability, reveals the impacts and mechanisms of habitat changes on biodiversity, and further proposes an outlook for freshwater wetland research. This paper provides an important reference for freshwater wetland conservation and its habitat function enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation continues to increase at an alarming rate and its effects on the natural environment are very profound now more than ever. Moreover, studies on terrestrial urban landscapes seems to be more than that on urban freshwater habitats. Furthermore, studies have shown that the Odonata are effective indicators of the effects of urbanisation on freshwater habitats. However, not much is known about their responses to urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa, especially given the unique set of conditions that characterise the area. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate differences in Odonata responses, measured as the proportion of habitat generalists, to three levels of habitat disturbance in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. Results showed that Phaon camerunensis was a potential indicator of habitat disturbance. Also, differences in habitat disturbance significantly affected Odonata composition. The most important variables that influenced Odonata responses were the individual and interaction effects of altitude and preservation of riparian vegetation. Therefore, conservation strategies that are targeted at reducing the impacts of urbanisation on Odonata must focus on these variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Human activities have introduced numerous non‐native species (NNS) worldwide. Understanding and predicting large‐scale NNS establishment patterns remain fundamental scientific challenges. Here, we evaluate if NNS composition represents a proportional subset of the total species pool available to invade (i.e. total global biodiversity), or, conversely, certain taxa are disproportionately pre‐disposed to establish in non‐native areas. Location: Global. Time period: Present day. Major taxa studied: Global diversity. Methods: We compiled one of the most comprehensive global databases of NNS (36,822 established species) to determine if NNS diversity is a representative proportional subset of global biodiversity. Results: Our study revealed that, while NNS diversity mirrors global biodiversity to a certain extent, due to significant deviance from the null model it is not always a representative proportional subset of global biodiversity. The strength of global biodiversity as a predictor depended on the taxonomic scale, with successive lower taxonomic levels less predictive than the one above it. Consequently, on average, 58%, 42% and 28% of variability in NNS numbers were explained by global biodiversity for phylum, class and family respectively. Moreover, global biodiversity was a similarly strong explanatory variable for NNS diversity among regions, but not habitats (i.e. terrestrial, freshwater and marine), where it better predicted NNS diversity for terrestrial than for freshwater and marine habitats. Freshwater and marine habitats were also greatly understudied relative to invasions in the terrestrial habitats. Over‐represented NNS relative to global biodiversity tended to be those intentionally introduced and/or 'hitchhikers' associated with deliberate introductions. Finally, randomness is likely an important factor in the establishment success of NNS. Main conclusions: Besides global biodiversity, other important explanatory variables for large‐scale patterns of NNS diversity likely include propagule and colonization pressures, environmental similarity between native and non‐native regions, biased selection of intentionally introduced species and disparate research efforts of habitats and taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the survey on freshwater hyphomycetes in Guangxi, Guizhou and Hainan Provinces, China, five fresh collections were encountered. Based on their morphology, these five isolates were identified as belonging to Hermatomyces, Kirschsteiniothelia, Paramonodictys, Pleopunctum and Sparticola. Multigene phylogenetic analyses were performed for each genus, which resulted in the identification of five new species, namely Hermatomyces hainanensis, Kirschsteiniothelia ramus, Paramonodictys globosa, Pleopunctum guizhouense, and Sparticola irregularis. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the morphological characteristics of these new taxa were provided. This research enriches the biodiversity of freshwater dematiaceous hyphomycetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myxozoans are a unique group of microscopic parasites that infect mainly fishes. These extremely reduced cnidarians are highly diverse and globally distributed in freshwater and marine habitats. Myxozoan diversity dimension is unknown in Mexico, a territory of an extraordinary biological diversity. This study aimed to explore, for the first time, myxozoan parasite diversity from fishes of the Neotropical region of Mexico. We performed a large morphological and molecular screening using host tissues of 22 ornamental and food fish species captured from different localities of Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas. Myxozoan infections were detected in 90% of the fish species, 65% of them had 1 or 2 and 35% had 3 and up to 8 myxozoan species. Forty-one putative new species were identified using SSU rDNA phylogenetic analyses, belonging to two main lineages: polychaete-infecting (5 species) and oligochaete-infecting (36 species) myxozoans; from those we describe 4 new species: Myxidium zapotecus sp. n., Zschokkella guelaguetza sp. n., Ellipsomyxa papantla sp. n. and Myxobolus zoqueus sp. n. Myxozoan detection increased up to 6 × using molecular screening, which represents 3.7 × more species detected than by microscopy. This study demonstrated that Neotropical fishes from Mexico are hosts of a multitude of myxozoans, representing a source of emerging diseases with large implications for economic and conservation reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Freshwater fungi refer to the fungi that depend on the freshwater habitats for the whole life cycle or part of their life cycle. In this context, a new aquatic hyphomycete was isolated from decaying wood in a freshwater habitat in Jiangxi Province, China. New information: Dictyochaeta jiangxiensis sp. nov., a new aquatic hyphomycete, is characterised by its unbranched, septate, base-fertile conidiophores with multisepta and single phialide at the apex, brown, sterile seta, monophialidic, subcylindrical conidiogenous cells narrowing below the funnel-shaped collarette, hyaline, unicellular, thin-walled, smooth, guttulate, falcate to subclavate conidia narrowly rounded at both ends with hair-like appendages. Phylogenetically, the new species Dictyochaeta jiangxiensis clustered together with Dictyochaeta brevis MFLU 19-0216 in a well-supported clade, but formed a separate branch. In order to better define the taxonomic status of the new species, a phylogenetic tree of most closely-related taxa in Chaetosphaeriaceae was established, based on multilocus sequences (ITS and LSU). The novel species is described and illustrated. Newlygenerated molecular data of Dictyochaeta jiangxiensis is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We outline a 100% georeferenced dataset of aquatic macroinvertebrate occurrence records collected from the operational area of the Körös-Maros National Park Directorate (SE Hungary) between 2012 and 2021. The species-level dataset includes 25,935 records of 644 taxa from 625 localities of wide variety of freshwater habitats from soda pans to lowland marshes and small watercourses to medium-sized and larger rivers. Four non-biting midge species are reported for the first time from the Hungarian fauna. The dataset is available through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many biodiversity studies focus on explaining high tropical species richness, but an equally dramatic yet understudied pattern involves the divergent richness of land, sea and freshwater. Here, we reveal the origins of these richness differences among habitats across animals and plants. Most plant and animal species are terrestrial, although these habitats cover only ~28% of Earth's surface. Marine habitats have fewer species over a larger area (~70%). Freshwater habitats have relatively high richness and exceptional phylogenetic diversity given their tiny area (2%). The relative richness of habitats is related to variation in diversification rates. Based on ancestral reconstructions of habitat, we find that most marine species are descended from marine ancestors and most terrestrial species from freshwater ancestors. Yet, most extant animal richness in freshwater is derived from terrestrial ancestors. Overall, our results reveal the origins of fundamental but neglected biodiversity patterns, and highlight the conservation importance of freshwater habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain lakes are unique and often isolated freshwater habitats that harbour a rich biotic diversity. This high conservation value may be reflected by diatoms, a group of algae that is known for its reliability as a bioindicator, but which has not been studied extensively in mountain lakes of the northern European Alps. In this study, the conservation value of these lakes was assessed by characterizing the number, share, and abundance of diatom Red List (RL) taxa and their relationship with environmental variables, diatom α and β diversity (assemblage uniqueness). For this purpose, linear regression models, generalized linear models, and generalized additive models were fitted and spatial descriptors were included when relevant. Of the 560 diatom taxa identified, 64% were on the RL and half of these were assigned a threat status. As hypothesized, a decreasing share of RL species in sediment and littoral samples at higher trophic levels was reflected by higher total phosphorous content and lower Secchi depth, respectively. Species-rich lakes contained a high number of RL taxa, contrasting our hypothesis of a logarithmic relationship. In turn, RL abundance increased with uniqueness, confirming our initial hypothesis. However, some of the most unique sites were degraded by fish stocking and contained low abundances of RL species. The results demonstrate the importance of oligotrophic mountain lakes as habitats for rare freshwater biota and their vulnerability in light of human impact through cattle herding, tourism, damming, and fish stocking. Additional conservation efforts are urgently needed for mountain lakes that are still underrepresented within legal conservation frameworks. Species richness and uniqueness reflect complementary aspects of RL status and thus should be applied jointly. Uniqueness can indicate both pristine and degraded habitats, so that including information on human impacts facilitates its interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present a new method to compare the distribution of knowledge regarding the biodiversity of a taxa with the distribution of environments inhabited by that taxa, in order to identify the main geographical gaps in biodiversity knowledge. We compared the geographical distribution of studies describing freshwater fish assemblages in Argentina with the distribution of freshwater bodies, delimiting priority areas that require additional sampling effort in order to achieve a more balanced understanding of this taxa's diversity throughout the country. Our results show a substantial geographical bias in the distribution of knowledge regarding freshwater fish assemblages in Argentina, with most of the studies concentrating on a few areas of the country. Many sectors appear as undersampled, and most of the country has been studied only recently, after many sites have undergone severe impact by anthropic activities. The absence of fish assemblages descriptions previous to habitat changes in these sites considerably limits our capacity to understand changes in biodiversity that anthropic habitat modifications might have generated or even the ones they are generating now. We show the areas of Argentina where freshwater fish diversity needs to be studied most urgently based on the distribution of freshwater habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The noble crayfish (Astacus astacus), a keystone species of high ecological, economic, and cultural importance in Europe, is threatened due to a long-term population decline caused by anthropogenic pressure on its habitats, the presence of non-indigenous invasive crayfish species and climate change. Since the effective protection of the remaining populations requires conservation measures based on the comprehensive knowledge of the species, including good understanding of its genetic and morphological variability, our aim was to study morphological features of the noble crayfish in Croatia using geometric morphometrics for the first time. We applied two-dimensional geometric morphometrics to find morphological differences among 15 populations of the noble crayfish from Croatian freshwater habitats, grouped according to previously established (a) mitochondrial (genetic) lineages, (b) genetic clusters inferred from nuclear microsatellites, as well as (c) river basins and (d) habitat types (lotic, lentic). Overall, the results indicated the existence of morphological diversity among the studied populations of the noble crayfish in Croatia. Shape analysis showed differences in cephalon based on crayfish affiliation to different genetic lineages, genetic clusters, river basins and habitat types. Our study provided novel insights into morphological diversity of the endangered noble crayfish in the area of its high genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic climate change is increasingly threatening biodiversity on a global scale. Rich spots of biodiversity, regions with exceptionally high endemism and/or number of species, are a top priority for nature conservation. Terrestrial studies have hypothesized that rich spots occur in places where long-term climate change was dampened relative to other regions. Here we tested whether biodiversity rich spots are likely to provide refugia for organisms during anthropogenic climate change. We assessed the spatial distribution of both historic (absolute temperature change and climate change velocities) and projected climate change in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine rich spots. Our analyses confirm the general consensus that global warming will impact almost all rich spots of all three realms and suggest that their characteristic biota is expected to witness similar forcing to other areas, including range shifts and elevated risk of extinction. Marine rich spots seem to be particularly sensitive to global warming: they have warmed more, have higher climate velocities, and are projected to experience higher future warming than non-rich-spot areas. However, our results also suggest that terrestrial and freshwater rich spots will be somewhat less affected than other areas. These findings emphasize the urgency of protecting a comprehensive and representative network of biodiversity-rich areas that accommodate species range shifts under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation is increasing globally, degrading terrestrial and freshwater habitats and reducing faunal and floral richness. Whilst the potential for garden ponds to serve as important biodiversity resources in urban areas has been documented in a limited number of studies, quantifying the contribution of garden ponds to urban freshwater diversity has been largely neglected. This study aims to quantify the taxonomic richness, community composition and conservation value of aquatic macroinvertebrates in domestic garden and non-urban ponds. Taxonomic richness was significantly lower in garden ponds than non-urban ponds at an alpha and gamma scale. A greater richness of Odonata, Coleoptera, Gastropoda and Hemiptera were recorded in non-urban ponds. Garden ponds were found to support compositionally different macroinvertebrate communities compared to non-urban ponds, influenced by variation in water depth and conductivity. A total of 23 taxa were recorded from garden ponds only. Non-urban ponds had a significantly higher conservation value compared to garden ponds (87% of garden ponds were of low or moderate conservation value, while only 35% of non-urban ponds were in these categories). Although garden ponds currently support limited macroinvertebrate diversity and have lower conservation value, they contribute to the regional species pool and their potential to limit future urban biodiversity loss is significant. Given their high abundance and popularity within the urban landscape, clear guidance is required for pond-owners on how to best manage garden ponds to support and sustain biodiversity. For this to be achieved, research is required to increase fundamental understanding of urban pond ecology, and the development of evidence led garden pond management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ponds are among the most biodiverse and ecologically important freshwater habitats globally and may provide a significant opportunity to mitigate anthropogenic pressures and reverse the decline of aquatic biodiversity. Ponds also provide important contributions to society through the provision of ecosystem services. Despite the ecological and societal importance of ponds, freshwater research, policy, and conservation have historically focused on larger water bodies, with significant gaps remaining in our understanding and conservation of pond ecosystems. In May 2019, pond researchers and practitioners participated in a workshop to tackle several pond ecology, conservation, and management issues. Nine research themes and 30 research questions were identified during and following the workshop to address knowledge gaps around: (1) pond habitat definition; (2) global and long‐term data availability; (3) anthropogenic stressors; (4) aquatic–terrestrial interactions; (5) succession and disturbance; (6) freshwater connectivity; (7) pond monitoring and technological advances; (8) socio‐economic factors; and (9) conservation, management, and policy. Key areas for the future inclusion of ponds in environmental and conservation policy were also discussed. Addressing gaps in our fundamental understanding of pond ecosystems will facilitate more effective research‐led conservation and management of pondscapes, their inclusion in environmental policy, support the sustainability of ecosystem services, and help address many of the global threats driving the decline in freshwater biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mountainous areas are attractive for human colonization. • In South Africa, mountains host high levels of aquatic arthropod endemism. • There are often trade-offs between urbanization and biodiversity conservation. • Urbanization presents several novel threats to freshwater conservation. • Threats can and have been mitigated to encourage arthropods in urban spaces. Mountains supply essential resources, making them attractive areas for human settlement. Variation in elevation in mountainous areas determines local and regional climates, leading to complex biodiversity patterns. Mountains in the Cape Floristic Region have high species richness and beta diversity, and very high levels of local endemism. Table Mountain is an iconic mountain in the region, and unusual, as it is in the centre of the city of Cape Town. It is exceedingly rich in biodiversity, including many localized endemic species. However, increasing urbanization in the area is adversely affecting the local biodiversity, especially in the lowlands. Climate change effects to date are minimal, but projected to interact with the impacts of urbanization. Here we review the biodiversity patterns of green and blue spaces in and around Cape Town, including Table Mountain, focusing on aquatic arthropods. We also review the major threats that lead to biotic impoverishment, and provide information on current conservation efforts aimed at protecting the rich biodiversity of Table Mountain and its surrounds. Finally, we focus on the shortcomings of existing conservation actions, and then provide conservation strategies to limit aquatic arthropod biodiversity losses, based on actions that have already worked well. To ensure protection of all arthropods, freshwater habitats across all elevations require further conservation action. Education and creating awareness must continue to close the gaps between scientists, conservation practitioners and civil society as a crucial part of the conservation plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current understanding on the exposure of freshwater organisms to microplastics (plastics sized between 1 µm and 5 mm) has arisen mostly from laboratory experiments—often conducted under artificial circumstances and with unrealistic concentrations. In order to improve scientific links through real ecosystem exposure, we review field data on the exposure of free‐living organisms to microplastics.We highlight that the main outputs provided by field research are an assessment of the occurrence and, at times, the quantification of microplastics in different animal taxa. Topics of investigation also include the causes of contamination and the development of biological monitoring tools. With regard to taxa, fish, mollusks, and arthropods are at the center of the research, but birds and amphibians are also investigated. The ingestion or occurrence of microplastics in organs and tissues, such as livers and muscles, are the main data obtained. Microorganisms are studied differently than other taxa, highlighting interesting aspects on the freshwater plastisphere, for example, related to the structure and functionality of communities. Many taxa, that is, mammals, reptiles, and plants, are still under‐examined with regard to exposure to microplastics; this is surprising as they are generally endangered.As biota contamination is acknowledged, we contribute to an interdisciplinary scientific discussion aimed at a better assessment of knowledge gaps on methodology, impact assessment, and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inland fisheries and their freshwater habitats face intensifying effects from multiple natural and anthropogenic pressures. Fish harvest and biodiversity data remain largely disparate and severely deficient in many areas, which makes assessing and managing inland fisheries difficult. Expert knowledge is increasingly used to improve and inform biological or vulnerability assessments, especially in data-poor areas. Integrating expert knowledge on the distribution, intensity, and relative influence of human activities can guide natural resource management strategies and institutional resource allocation and prioritization. This paper introduces a dataset summarizing the expert-perceived state of inland fisheries at the basin (fishery) level. An electronic survey distributed to professional networks (June-September 2020) captured expert perceptions (n = 536) of threats, successes, and adaptive capacity to fisheries across 93 hydrological basins, 79 countries, and all major freshwater habitat types. This dataset can be used to address research questions with conservation relevance, including: demographic influences on perceptions of threat, adaptive capacities for climate change, external factors driving multi-stressor interactions, and geospatial threat assessments. Measurement(s) Perception • Threats • Adaptive capacity Technology Type(s) Survey Factor Type(s) Fishery location • Demographics Sample Characteristic - Organism Homo sapiens • fish Sample Characteristic - Environment freshwater environment • lake • stream • wetland ecosystem Sample Characteristic - Location Europe • Asia • Oceania • Africa • South America • North America • Australia Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14749161 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Freshwater habitats in China are potentially suitable for invasive alien turtle species and, consequently, raising turtles in aquaculture facilities and the trade in turtles this supplies pose risks to habitats and native wetland communities when exotic turtles escape or are released deliberately. Online trade (e-commerce) is making an increasing contribution to turtle sales in China, seemingly driving demand and thus potentially exacerbating the risk of release. We document the scale and spatial pattern of online sales of non-native turtles over 90 days on China's Taobao.com e-commerce site. The majority of sales were in the ecologically sensitive middle and lower Yangtze river basin (82.35% of > 840,000 slider turtles Trachemys scripta elegans, and 68.26% of > 100,000 snapping turtles, Chelydridae spp.). These species are native to the Americas. Concurrently, over 2008–2018, we found 104 mentions of feral turtle issues listed on Baidu News where, among the 53 prefectures mentioned, issues with invasive turtle populations also focused predominantly in the middle and lower Yangtze river basin. Although circumstantial, this association suggests that the substantial online sale of alien turtles could be having detrimental effects in China's Yangtze river basin. It is important to safeguard these wetland habitats, which are of global importance, by improving policies for detecting and regulating invasive alien turtle issues and by warning consumers about the ecological hazard of their purchases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High biodiversity is a prerequisite for the integrity, stability, and functioning of global aquatic ecosystems, but it is currently subject to anthropogenic threats. Small freshwater bodies with high habitat diversity are essential to sustain regional biodiversity, but species inventory and biodiversity are largely overlooked, especially in mountainous regions. In the Italian Alps, obligate assessments of freshwater biota (e.g., for the European water framework directive, WFD) are usually done in larger rivers or lakes only, which is why many taxa from small freshwater habitats might have been overlooked so far. Here we summarize and discuss the efforts to record aquatic invertebrates within the framework of so-called "Biodiversity Days", organized since 2001 at 13 different sites located across the North Italian province of South Tyrol. These events with voluntary participation of scientists and naturalists from universities and environmental agencies led to the detection of 334 benthic invertebrate taxa in streams and lakes (mostly at species or genus level), whereby higher taxa richness was found in streams. The overall hierarchy of species numbers within invertebrate orders or families corresponded to that of other Alpine regions (groups richest in taxa were Chironomidae and Trichoptera) and these Biodiversity Days contributed to biodiversity research of that region in detecting 167 additional taxa. Besides analyzing yearly gains in the regional taxa inventory, we predict that future surveys will lead to new discoveries of aquatic taxa for that province (i.e., current modeling estimates a regional inventory of more than 600 taxa). However, specific surveys in hitherto unconsidered habitats, such as morphologically modified or urban waters, might reveal even more taxa than currently estimated. Besides characterizing the invertebrate fauna of this region and providing a first reference list for future monitoring projects in the same region, this work demonstrates that such Biodiversity Days can contribute to biodiversity research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North American beaver Castor canadensis is widely recognized for its ability to modify freshwater habitats and facilitate changes in community composition. However, the seasonal composition of terrestrial wildlife at littoral beaver lodges remains poorly described, even though beaver lodges are distinctive semipermanent features of the terrestrial–aquatic interface and thus important resources for wildlife. Over 17 months, we used camera trapping, weather data, and satellite vegetation data to determine how vertebrate species richness and seasonal changes in community composition are associated with beaver activity and beaver lodges in a temperate artificial pond. Our results indicate clear changes in the composition of beaver lodge visitors across seasons. Moreover, there was not a strong association of species richness with beaver activity, vegetative condition, or weather condition. Littoral beaver lodges are likely important foraging sites for a wide range of taxa throughout the year. Our findings highlight the importance of beaver lodges in facilitating seasonal interactions and variation in species composition. We hope our work can be used as a baseline to investigate the importance of beaver lodges in promoting diversity at the terrestrial–aquatic interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, we discuss the results of a four-day long rapid survey around Dhamapur Lake and surrounding freshwater habitats in the Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra through public participation. In total, 61 odonates, 51 butterflies, 17 species of amphibians and reptiles, 90 birds, and four mammals are documented. Our observations taken over a brief time reflect the importance of citizen science in documenting local biodiversity. We report involvement of citizen scientists in recovering significant odonate records for the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater mussels provide important functions and services for aquatic ecosystems, but populations of many species have been extirpated. Information on biodiversity plays an important role in the conservation and management of freshwater mussels. The Xin River Basin is a biodiversity hotspot for freshwater mussels in China, with more than 43 species known, but populations of which are decreasing. Here, we quantify the diversity of freshwater mussels in the middle and lower reaches of the Xin River Basin and study the correlation of habitat characteristics and freshwater mussel diversity. Compared to the historical period, the number of species, density, and biomass of freshwater mussels decreased 33%, 83%, and 82% in the current period, respectively. Fifty two percent of recorded species were empty shells, and 14 native freshwater mussels were not found in the study area. Four species are currently listed as vulnerable species using IUCN criteria and their global status. The assemblage structure of freshwater mussels exhibits significant spatial differences, and there was a correlation with substrate and physicochemical parameters. The main tributary of the Xin River with higher freshwater mussel diversity should be established as one large protected area because the nestedness component was the main pattern of beta diversity. These results indicated freshwater mussel diversity was declining rapidly, which can help focus conservation effort for freshwater mussel biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meta‐communities of habitat islands may be essential to maintain biodiversity in anthropogenic landscapes allowing rescue effects in local habitat patches. To understand the species‐assembly mechanisms and dynamics of such ecosystems, it is important to test how local plant‐community diversity and composition is affected by spatial isolation and hence by dispersal limitation and local environmental conditions acting as filters for local species sorting.We used a system of 46 small wetlands (kettle holes)—natural small‐scale freshwater habitats rarely considered in nature conservation policies—embedded in an intensively managed agricultural matrix in northern Germany. We compared two types of kettle holes with distinct topographies (flat‐sloped, ephemeral, frequently plowed kettle holes vs. steep‐sloped, more permanent ones) and determined 254 vascular plant species within these ecosystems, as well as plant functional traits and nearest neighbor distances to other kettle holes.Differences in alpha and beta diversity between steep permanent compared with ephemeral flat kettle holes were mainly explained by species sorting and niche processes and mass effect processes in ephemeral flat kettle holes. The plant‐community composition as well as the community trait distribution in terms of life span, breeding system, dispersal ability, and longevity of seed banks significantly differed between the two habitat types. Flat ephemeral kettle holes held a higher percentage of non‐perennial plants with a more persistent seed bank, less obligate outbreeders and more species with seed dispersal abilities via animal vectors compared with steep‐sloped, more permanent kettle holes that had a higher percentage of wind‐dispersed species. In the flat kettle holes, plant‐species richness was negatively correlated with the degree of isolation, whereas no such pattern was found for the permanent kettle holes.Synthesis: Environment acts as filter shaping plant diversity (alpha and beta) and plant‐community trait distribution between steep permanent compared with ephemeral flat kettle holes supporting species sorting and niche mechanisms as expected, but we identified a mass effect in ephemeral kettle holes only. Flat ephemeral kettle holes can be regarded as meta‐ecosystems that strongly depend on seed dispersal and recruitment from a seed bank, whereas neighboring permanent kettle holes have a more stable local species diversity. In our study, we compare plant communities in two different types of kettle holes (island habitats scattered in an intensive agricultural landscapes), and we found differences in plant compositions and functional plant traits. Flat ephemeral plowed kettle holes depend on seed dispersal and recruitment from a seed bank and are affected by isolation and agricultural practices, while deep permanent non‐plowed kettle holes had more stable plant communities. We discuss the importance to conserve these meta‐ecosystems and highlight for the first time the vulnerability of ephemeral kettle holes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Birds and Habitats Directive are the cornerstones of Europe's nature conservation policy and the resulting Natura 2000 (N2k) sites form the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world. Despite the ambitious targets of these directives and decades of efforts, biodiversity, especially of freshwater-related species, continues to decline in Europe. While multiple stressors at larger spatial scales are known to limit the effect of river restoration projects, the importance of surrounding land use outside the N2k sites for freshwater-related species richness inside N2k sites has rarely been studied. Conditional inference forests were used to assess the importance of land use in the surrounding and upstream of the German N2k sites compared to local habitat conditions inside. Freshwater-related species richness depended on land use in the surrounding besides local habitat conditions. Results indicated that this was especially true for birds in small N2k sites embedded in a wet, diverse, and patchy landscape and for non-birds due to the provision of additional habitats outside the N2k sites. Given that most N2k sites in Europe are rather small, the surrounding habitat conditions and land use potentially influences and affects freshwater-related species in many N2k sites across Europe. The additional conservation and restoration areas to be designated under the EU Biodiversity Strategy and upcoming EU restoration law should either be large enough or surrounded by extensive land use to optimize their effect on freshwater-related species. • Freshwater-related species richness in German Natura 2000 sites was investigated. • Importance of surrounding land use and local habitat conditions were compared. • Species richness strongly depends on surrounding land use providing habitat. • Surrounding landuse is more important for more mobile birds compared to non-birds. • Surrounding landuse is more important in small Natura 2000 sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current synopsis reviews the types of aquatic habitats, that are located in the city of Plovdiv and analyses their importance for the biodiversity. Studies of the biodiversity in urban landscapes are of particular importance because they are still scarce. Several plant and animal groups are studied in the city of Plovdiv – mosses, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Their distribution among habitats is presented, as well as specific threats and conservation problems.

Where biodiversity conservation and environmental preservation are significant concerns, rapid assessment and monitoring of the colonization and spread of non-native species are essential for timely decision-making and response. We developed and evaluated the adequacy of a rapid assessment protocol (RAP) for detecting non-native fish species in 74 Eastern Brazilian lakes. The RAP consists of a single field day employing two surveyors to conduct interviews with local sport fishers, visual surveys of fish, angling with lures, and gillnetting. We compared our results with those from separate, intense, large sampling effort (LSE) field surveys. Despite requiring less than 1/100th of the field effort, the RAP was able to detect the presence of most non-native fish species that were reported in the same lakes by LSE surveys. Information from local sport fishers was invaluable, particularly for detecting species that were in low abundance, but was not available for lakes within a forest preserve area. Non-native introductions commonly lead to rapid and widespread invasion and adverse effects on native biota. Our results strongly suggest that the RAP could function as a cost-effective tool for efficiently assessing the presence of non-native fishes in lakes and monitoring their colonization and spread over large geographic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Environmental Ministry (MMA) released a report in 2016 listing 163 non-native species into Brazilian inland waters. Reservoirs are among the freshwater habitats most frequently associated with the release of non-native species. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of the non-native species listed by the MMA, in large Brazilian reservoirs (≥ 30 km2). Further, we have tested the hypothesis that beta diversity of non-native species within reservoirs from the same basin is lower than those among reservoirs from distinct basins. A literature search was performed for 70 Brazilian reservoirs, resulting in the records of 91 non-native species. Reservoirs from the Paraná basin showed the highest number of occurrences, with 33 non-native species recorded only in the Itaipu reservoir. Beta diversity of non-native species showed higher variability among reservoirs from different basins than those within the same basin. Some basins were also distinguished by their composition of non-native species, as supported by the IndVal index. Non-native species were widespread along Brazilian reservoirs, and their distribution can be even higher than reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant bacterium Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera (NC10 phylum) was first identified from an enrichment culture and subsequently from various other habitats. To date, the global distribution pattern of this bacterium has not been summarized. This study analyzed the distribution pattern and diversity of nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-damo) bacteria by retrieving 2343 and 2555 16S rRNA gene and pmoA sequences from public databases, respectively. The phylogenetic trees showed that the distribution of this bacterium in marine notably distinct from other habitats, and the 16S rRNA gene sequences amplified from enrichment cultures established a separate phylogenetic group. The highest richness of their community was detected in marine habitat. Shannon-Wiener index showed that the diversity of them was higher in marine and coastal habitats without distinctive differences between them. In addition, a significant community difference was also found between the marine and freshwater habitats by calculating ANOSIM p values and shared OTUs. PCoA analysis shows that their community composition is habitat specific and shaped by salinity or anthropogenic influence. This analysis provides a synthesis on the global diversity and distribution pattern of this new bacterium with currently available information to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russian High Arctic archipelagos still lack knowledge on the freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity. Here, we present results of the freshwater bodies' survey of the nine islands in the Franz Josef Land archipelago, north-eastern Barents Sea, carried out in August 2016. Freshwater lakes and streams along with associated coastal habitats were examined for hydrochemistry, elemental composition of sediments, microbiota, macrozoobenthos, flora and vegetation as well as ornithofauna. Despite the harsh climate conditions and ephemeral character of the freshwater bodies, there were a diverse microflora and macrozoobenthos. Macrozoobenthos consisted primarily of chironomid larvae (with highest abundances at 6644.4 specimens/m2 and wet biomass hereinafter referred biomass 3.1 g/m2) and enchytraeids (abundances up to 922.2 specimens/m2, biomass up to 0.2 g/m2); additionally, numerous mermitides were found in two sites; and tardigrades were found in a single water body. Grass-moss and moss communities in coastal habitats were described. We propose to include freshwater bodies of Franz Josef Land in the CBMP network, which at the moment lacks any monitoring sites in the Russian High Arctic, and has the only site at comparable latitudes in the Arctic Canada. Our results can be used as the background data on the freshwater environment and biodiversity for - further monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matching the trend seen among the major large rivers of the globe, the Amazon River and its tributaries are facing aquatic ecosystem disruption that is affecting freshwater habitats and their associated biodiversity, including trends for decline in fishery resources. The Amazon's aquatic ecosystems, linked natural resources, and human communities that depend on them are increasingly at risk from a number of identified threats, including expansion of agriculture; cattle pastures; infrastructure such as hydroelectric dams, logging, mining; and overfishing. The forest, which regulates the hydrological pulse, guaranteeing the distribution of rainfall and stabilizing seasonal flooding, has been affected by deforestation. Flooding dynamics of the Amazon Rivers are a major factor in regulating the intensity and timing of aquatic organisms. This study's objective was to identify threats to the integrity of freshwater ecosystems, and to seek instruments for conservation and sustainable use, taking principally fish diversity and fisheries as factors for analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current synopsis reviews the types of aquatic habitats, that are located in the city of Plovdiv and analyses their importance for the biodiversity. Studies of the biodiversity in urban landscapes are of particular importance because they are still scarce. Several plant and animal groups are studied in the city of Plovdiv - mosses, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. Their distribution among habitats is presented, as well as specific threats and conservation problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Increased public awareness of wetlands and the importance of their conservation stipulated various preservation or improvement projects. In 2012, riverine wetlands were created in the Nakdong River in Korea to replace those damaged or destroyed by the River Refurbishment Project, but they could not be maintained as functional wetlands, owing to the long-term neglect and lack of management. A previous survey detected various problems in these wetlands, including insufficient in/outflow function, shore instability, and difficulty in introducing appropriate water sources, which cause nutrient accumulation and algal blooms. The in/outflow functions of the mainstream and tributaries were hampered by soil and plant deposition. These chemical changes influenced the community composition of rotifers. In particular, three rotifer species—Brachionus, Keratella, and Trichocerca—were mainly distributed in wetlands with relatively high nutrient concentrations (total nitrogen and phosphorus). Therefore, the rotifer community can be used as an indicator of the nutritional status of a wetland, and the functional state of the wetland can be understood through continuous monitoring of rotifers. Hydrological characteristics of freshwater ecosystems are powerful determinants of the distribution of biological communities and changes in environmental factors. This study identified relationships between the wetland environment, rotifer community, and hydrological factors for 48 wetlands, to determine their impact on wetland conservation and management. Different hydrological factors produced different wetland environments, which influenced the rotifer community composition. The wetlands with "poor" "in/outflow function" and "shore stability" levels showed high conductivity, turbidity, depth, and concentrations of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll a. In contrast, the dissolved oxygen levels and velocity were the highest in wetlands with "good" in/outflow function and shore stability variables. The nutritional status of each wetland affected the composition of the rotifer community. Some genera (Keratella, Brachionus, Anuraeopsis, Trichocerca, and Philodina) were found in wetlands with high concentrations of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll a, and high turbidity and depth. In contrast, Ascomorpha and Ploesoma were found in wetlands with high dissolved oxygen levels and flow velocity. High densities of Lepadella, Lecane, and Testudinella were found in wetlands completely covered by macrophytes. The rotifer community distribution can be used to understand the trophic, current functional, and environmental status of wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater habitats and organisms are among the most threatened on Earth, and freshwater ecosystems have been subject to large biodiversity losses. We developed a Climate Change Sensitivity (CCS) indicator based on trait information for a selection of stream- and lake-dwelling Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera taxa. We calculated the CCS scores based on ten species traits identified as sensitive to global climate change. We then assessed climate change sensitivity between the six main ecoregions of Sweden as well as the three Swedish regions based on Illies. This was done using biological data from 1,382 stream and lake sites where we compared large-scale (ecoregional) patterns in climate change sensitivity with potential future exposure of these ecosystems to increased temperatures using ensemble-modelled future changes in air temperature. Current (1961~1990) measured temperature and ensemble-modelled future (2100) temperature showed an increase from the northernmost towards the southern ecoregions, whereas the predicted temperature change increased from south to north. The CCS indicator scores were highest in the two northernmost boreal ecoregions where we also can expect the largest global climate change-induced increase in temperature, indicating an unfortunate congruence of exposure and sensitivity to climate change. These results are of vital importance when planning and implementing management and conservation strategies in freshwater ecosystems, e.g., to mitigate increased temperatures using riparian buffer strips. We conclude that traits information on taxa specialization, e.g., in terms of feeding specialism or taxa having a preference for high altitudes as well as sensitivity to changes in temperature are important when assessing the risk from future global climate change to freshwater ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fish genomes are under a strong influence of climate, habitat, and depth. • GS decreased with latitude, salinity, and depth, the GC contents increased. • Higher GC contents were found to be mostly associated with species occupying physiologically challenging or stressful environmental niches. • Opposing trends in GS and GC to be the hallmark of environmental adaptation in fishes. Environmental interactions and the effects of such interactions on the evolution of genome attributes is an intriguing area of ongoing research. Several earlier studies have delved into how the genome size (GS) and the guanine-cytosine content (GC) of genomes are shaped by species' ecology while largely disregarding other genome attributes, such as number of chromosomes (CR), number of genes (GE), and protein count (PC) from such comparisons. The present study was designed at understanding the influence of ecology––climate, habitat, and depth––on genome attributes by using the most current data on 579 whole fish genomes available at NCBI. Given the diverse and intricate roles of GS and GC in species adaptations to temperature, salinity, and hydrostatic pressure, the focus was on finding if and how the genomes responded to these stressors and if any common patterns existed in the genome-level responses. Our analyses exhibited some significant and intriguing trends for fishes as a whole while indicating strong effects of ecology on GS, GC, CR, and PC. Also, some very unique trends were observed on regressing GS and GC values across temperature, salinity, and depth clines. Accordingly, a very strong decline in the GS and a concomitant increase in GC were observed in species through the tropics/sub tropics to the temperate/poles, from freshwater to the marine habitats, and from the pelagic to bathydemersal depths. Observed patterns strongly support the notion that smaller GS and larger GC are associated with species inhabiting more stable environments and vice versa. The results also signify the effect of these patterns on protein flexibility and its role in tolerating stressful conditions. Observed patterns are discussed in the light of latitudinal biodiversity gradient, habitat complexity, and energy and metabolic expenditure hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spiny-rayed fishes, or acanthomorphs, comprise nearly one-third of all living vertebrates. Despite their dominant role in aquatic ecosystems, the evolutionary history and tempo of acanthomorph diversification is poorly understood. We investigate the pattern of lineage diversification in acanthomorphs by using a well-resolved time-calibrated phylogeny inferred from a nuclear gene super-matrix that includes 520 acanthomorph species and 37 fossil age constraints. This phylogeny provides resolution for what has been classically referred to as the "bush at the top" of the teleost tree, and indicates acanthomorphs originated in the Early Cretaceous. Pale-ontological evidence suggests acanthomorphs exhibit a pulse of morphological diversification following the end Cretaceous mass extinction; however, the role of this event on the accumulation of living acanthomorph diversity remains unclear. Lineage diversification rates through time exhibit no shifts associated with the end Cretaceous mass extinction, but there is a global decrease in lineage diversification rates 50 Ma that occurs during a period when morphological disparity among fossil acanthomorphs increases sharply. Analysis of clade-specific shifts in diversification rates reveal that the hyperdiversity of living acanthomorphs is highlighted by several rapidly radiating lineages including tunas, gobies, blennies, snail-fishes, and Afro-American cichlids. These lineages with high diversification rates are not associated with a single habitat type, such as coral reefs, indicating there is no single explanation for the success of acanthomorphs, as exceptional bouts of diversification have occurred across a wide array of marine and freshwater habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toothed whales (Cetacea, odontoceti) use biosonar to navigate their environment and to find and catch prey. All studied toothed whale species have evolved highly directional, high-amplitude ultrasonic clicks suited for long-range echolocation of prey in open water. Little is known about the biosonar signals of toothed whale species inhabiting freshwater habitats such as endangered river dolphins. To address the evolutionary pressures shaping the echolocation signal parameters of non-marine toothed whales, we investigated the biosonar source parameters of Ganges river dolphins (Platanista gangetica gangetica) and Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) within the river systems of the Sundarban mangrove forest. Both Ganges and Irrawaddy dolphins produced echolocation clicks with a high repetition rate and low source level compared to marine species. Irrawaddy dolphins, inhabiting coastal and riverine habitats, produced a mean source level of 195 dB (max 203 dB) re 1 µPapp whereas Ganges river dolphins, living exclusively upriver, produced a mean source level of 184 dB (max 191) re 1 µPapp. These source levels are 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than those of similar sized marine delphinids and may reflect an adaptation to a shallow, acoustically complex freshwater habitat with high reverberation and acoustic clutter. The centroid frequency of Ganges river dolphin clicks are an octave lower than predicted from scaling, but with an estimated beamwidth comparable to that of porpoises. The unique bony maxillary crests found in the Platanista forehead may help achieve a higher directionality than expected using clicks nearly an octave lower than similar sized odontocetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive radiations are typically triggered when a lineage encounters a significant range of open niche space (ecological opportunity), stemming from colonisation of new areas, extinction of competitors or key innovations. The most well-known of these is the colonisation of new areas, through either dispersal into new regions or the invasion of novel ecological regimes. One aspect of ecological opportunity that has rarely been studied, however, is the extent to which pre-existent competitors act to limit diversification in newly colonised adaptive zones. Herein, we show that in multiple geographically independent invasions of freshwaters by marine Sea Catfishes (Ariidae), rates of both morphological disparification and lineage diversification are inversely related to the presence and diversity of other freshwater fish lineages. Only in one region (Australia-New Guinea) with an otherwise depauperate freshwater fauna, has an ariid invasion gained any substantial traction. This is true at both regional and community scales, suggesting that competitive constraints may be an important factor regulating adaptive radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The freshwater habitats of the Eastern Congo are among the least investigated areas on the African continent. This severely restricts our understanding of the composition and distribution of the gastropod and bivalve communities in this region. This lack of knowledge, in combination with very limited recent collections, hampers the phylogenetic assessment of several molluscan taxa on the Pan-African scale and conservation efforts targeting this most prominent taxon of the macrozoobenthos. We here report on species obtained in the Eastern Congo in 2010. In total, 20 gastropod and bivalve taxa were collected from 24 freshwater habitats of the Nile and the Congo drainage system. By compiling faunal and taxonomic data we also aim to provide information of relevance to conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It has recently been stated that the global goal of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 has not been met highlighting the urgent need to monitor trends in biodiversity. Our study suggests that existing indicators of bird biodiversity in Denmark are inaccurate and we present a new objective method for accurately assessing trends in specific habitats using common bird species. Bird species were selected for creating habitat specific indicators by calculating their relative habitat use (RHU) in nine different habitat categories. RHU indicates the degree to which a habitat is preferred (RHU>2) or avoided (RHU<0.5) by a species, relative to other habitats. Indicator sets were constructed for each habitat type using species with an RHU>2 and revealed that existing habitat indicators, based on species lists from the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS), often included species that did not in fact have preferences for those particular habitats in Denmark. Habitat specific indicators based on the new species selection method showed significant negative trends in three of nine habitat categories: coniferous forest, bog/marsh and heath. Habitat classes were further combined to create overall indicators for forest, farmland and freshwater. A comparison of these indicators with the existing indicators revealed a negative overall trend for forest habitat, which had previously been overlooked, suggesting that species selection is crucial for the development of informative indicators. The habitat specific farmland indicator confirmed the negative trend in the current farmland indicator. The methodology for indicator species selection presented here could potentially be applied for use in a global context for a wider range of taxonomic groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

lien aquatic plant species have had spectacular success in invading New Zealand's freshwaters. Their continued introduction has resulted in few water bodies retaining their natural or original indigenous aquatic vegetation, and associated adverse changes, such as reduced biodiversity and amenity values are well known. This highlights the need to accurately assess aquatic plant species that are already in the country and those outside for their potential to have a negative impact on New Zealand's lakes and waterways. The study presented in this paper describes an approach to evaluating the invasive weed potential of Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle compared with Elodea canadensis Michx. under flowing water conditions. The two species were planted in combination and alone, and in a sheltered or exposed position relative to the direction of the water flow. Over the 2-year study, two different waterflow rates were used (0.1 and 0.2 m/s) which represented the gauged flows from a stream of interest that contains E. canadensis and flows from a H. verticillata infested lake. H. verticillata was competitive compared with E. canadensis and able to persist and thrive in the presence of E. canadensis in both exposed and sheltered habitats. These results corroborate observations from other countries of H. verticillata growing in flowing waters and highlight the significant threat posed by H. verticillata to streams and waterways in New Zealand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity, distribution, and checklist of diaptomid copepods from various freshwater ecosystems throughout Thailand are presented, based on data from our biodiversity projects during 1993–2019 and literature reviews. Thailand has one of the most diversified diaptomid fauna in the world, with 42 species identified from 2150 localities (4962 samples). Mongolodiaptomus has the highest species richness with ten species, followed by Tropodiaptomus with seven species. Among these, eight taxa (Arctodiaptomus sp., Mongolodiaptomus pectinidactylus, Neodiaptomus meggitti, Tropodiaptomus hebereri, T. lanaonus, T. oryzanus, T. ruttneri, and Paradiaptomus greeni) are new to the fauna of Thailand. The rare P. greeni, which predominantly occurs in Africa, is also a new record for Southeast Asia. The most frequently encountered species were Mongolodiaptomus botulifer, Phyllodiaptomus praedictus, M. calcarus, M. dumonti, M. malaindosinensis, Vietodiaptomus blachei, Phyllodiaptomus christineae, Eodiaptomus sanoamuangae, Neodiaptomus yangtsekiangensis, E. draconisignivomi, T. vicinus, and Heliodiaptomus elegans. Twelve species appear to be endemic to Thailand, and eight species occur only in the countries belonging to the lower Mekong River Basin (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam). The uniqueness of the Thai diaptomids is a high degree of co-occurrence of four to seven species in the same localities. Comments on the taxonomic status of the species recorded are provided. In addition, the taxonomic validity of Mongolodiaptomus malaindosinensis is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporary rivers are characterized by shifting habitats between flowing, isolated pools, and dry phases. Despite the fact that temporary rivers are currently receiving increasing attention by researchers and managers, the isolated pools phase has been largely disregarded. However, isolated pools in temporary rivers are transitional habitats of major ecological relevance as they support aquatic ecosystems during no-flow periods, and can act as refugees for maintaining local and regional freshwater biodiversity. Pool characteristics such as surface water permanence and size, presence of predators, local physicochemical conditions, time since disconnection from the river flow, or distance to other freshwater habitats challenge a comprehensive understanding of the ecology of these habitats, and challenge ecological quality assessments and conservation practices in temporary rivers. In this paper, we aim at providing a characterization of isolated pools from a hydrological, geomorphological, physicochemical, biogeochemical, and biological point of view as a framework to better conceptualize, conserve, and manage these habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Water mites are among the most diverse organisms inhabiting freshwater habitats and are considered as substantial part of the species communities in springs. As parasites, Hydrachnidia influence other invertebrates and play an important role in aquatic ecosystems. In Europe, 137 species are known to appear solely in or near springheads. New species are described frequently, especially with the help of molecular species identification and delimitation methods. The aim of this study was to verify the mainly morphology-based taxonomic knowledge of spring-inhabiting water mites of central Europe and to build a genetic species identification library. Methods: We sampled 65 crenobiontic species across the central Alps and tested the suitability of mitochondrial (cox1) and nuclear (28S) markers for species delimitation and identification purposes. To investigate both markers, distance- and phylogeny-based approaches were applied. The presence of a barcoding gap was tested by using the automated barcoding gap discovery tool and intra- and interspecific genetic distances were investigated. Furthermore, we analyzed phylogenetic relationships between different taxonomic levels. Results: A high degree of hidden diversity was observed. Seven taxa, morphologically identified as Bandakia concreta Thor, 1913, Hygrobates norvegicus (Thor, 1897), Ljania bipapillata Thor, 1898, Partnunia steinmanni Walter, 1906, Wandesia racovitzai Gledhill, 1970, Wandesia thori Schechtel, 1912 and Zschokkea oblonga Koenike, 1892, showed high intraspecific cox1 distances and each consisted of more than one phylogenetic clade. A clear intraspecific threshold between 5.6–6.0% K2P distance is suitable for species identification purposes. The monophyly of Hydrachnidia and the main superfamilies is evident with different species clearly separated into distinct clades. cox1 separates water mite species but is unsuitable for resolving higher taxonomic levels. Conclusions: Water mite species richness in springs is higher than has been suggested based on morphological species identification alone and further research is needed to evaluate the true diversity. The standard molecular species identification marker cox1 can be used to identify species but should be complemented by a nuclear marker, e.g. 28S, to resolve taxonomic relationships. Our results contribute to the taxonomical knowledge on spring inhabiting Hydrachnida, which is indispensable for the development and implementation of modern environment assessment methods, e.g. metabarcoding, in spring ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco‐cultural landscapes are assumed to be favorable environments for the persistence of biodiversity, but global change may affect differently their terrestrial and aquatic components. Few long‐term studies have examined how multiple, global change stressors may affect wetland biodiversity in such environments. Facultative paedomorphosis is a spectacular example of intra‐specific variation, in which biphasic (metamorphosing) amphibians coexist with fully aquatic conspecifics that do not metamorphose (paedomorphs). Paedomorphosis is seriously threatened by global change stressors, but it is unknown to what extent traditional management will allow its long‐term persistence. Here, we tested the effects of alien species introductions while taking into account land use and climate changes on the distribution of two polymorphic newt species (Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton graecus) in Montenegro by using a 68‐yr data set and Bayesian mixed models integrating complex spatial and temporal structures. We found that, despite the persistence of natural landscapes, metamorphs dramatically declined and paedomorphs were nearly extirpated, losing 99.9% of their aquatic area of occupancy and all the major populations. Fish introduction was the main determinant of decline for both phenotypes. Climate and the presence of crayfish further contributed to the decline of metamorphs, which started later and was less dramatic than that of paedomorphs. The near extinction of paedomorphosis on a country‐wide scale shows how invasive species determine broad‐scale impacts, which can be even stronger than other global change stressors, and underlines the need for immediate management actions to avoid the extinction of a unique developmental process, paedomorphosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study of algal communities in artificial stream ecosystem by Cardinale, which supports Charles Darwin's principle of divergence. It states that the study shows that complex freshwater habitats need diverse communities of algal species that occupy different ecology to be productive and maintain water quality by taking up nitrogen. It says that the result offers further evidence of the effect of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning.

The article reports that the Global Freshwater Biodiversity Atlas has been launched by the BioFresh Research Project, a collaboration of 12 European Union (EU) research institutions, in January 2014. It explains that the Atlas allows research scientists, resource managers, educators, and policy makers to view and share up-to-date geographic data on all freshwater habitats across the world, which would help them to make better decisions for protecting the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems.