Freshwater Biodiversity: Importance, Threats, and Management

• Published in: Biodiversity of Freshwater Ecosystems Vol. 1; pp. 1 - 20
• Main Authors: Kumar, Gyanendra, Afaq, Uzma
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Apple Academic Press 2023
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: River Prawns; Ex-situ Conservation; Flow Ecology Relationships; Spirodela Polyrhiza; sustainable development goals; Systomus Sarana; living planet index; DNA Sequencing Technology; life cycle impact assessment; Eco-toxicological Effects; Freshwater Ecosystems; Freshwater Bodies; DNA Isolation Protocol; Environmental DNA; Lemna Trisulca; Freshwater Organisms; ecosystem threats; freshwater biodiversity; LCIA; Oreochromis Mossambicus; Aquatic Organisms; conservation; Harmful Algal Blooms; Freshwater Species; Quantitative Real Time TaqMan PCR; Freshwater Habitats
• ISBN: 9781774910030; 9781774910023; 1774910039; 1774910020
• DOI: 10.1201/9781003277125-1

Freshwater biodiversity exhibits a wide variety of plants and animals. All of them are synchronously acting and contributing to different ecosystems linked with each other. Natural habitats within freshwater provide them with a place suitable to embellish their population and build harmonious communities. Every organism in an organization is essential to play a significant role at different trophic levels. Humans are directly dependent on freshwater for their daily needs and survival. Their daily needs for livelihood, sports, fishing, ultra-structured engineering, channelization, dam formation, etc., are fragmenting and devastating the natural habitat of freshwater organisms. As a result, most of the species are at risk of extinction and need particular conservation concerns. Recent data collected and analyzed by IUCN, postulate that most aquatic plants, microorganisms, molluscs, fishes, and amphibians are fighting critically for their survival. So, this is the time to think, decide, plan, 2and implement the conservational practices. Although the conservational strategies are being planned and executed for several decades and centuries, there is still some need to work efficiently and effectively. Management of them is critically essential to maintain biodiversity and sustain the Earth. Assessing the quality and traits by utilizing next-generation DNA sequencing plays a vital role in evaluating the cause of any change in animal physiology and behavior caused by stressors or mutations. Species richness can be maintained and improvised by a wide variety of parameters discussed in this chapter. Freshwater biodiversity conservation requires the comprehensive perception of pattern, distribution, identification, and sampling of species in response to the cause because they are getting flourished or reduced. It is well known that the management and conservation of the freshwater ecosystem are meagerly attempted and supported compared to the terrestrial ecosystem. Freshwater biodiversity hotspots are examples in this concern where conservational programs, funds, and public awareness have been raised much. Most of the invertebrates, amphibians, fishes, microorganisms, plants, etc., inhabiting freshwater bodies are facing lots of threats. A large proportion of the global ecosystem suffers from a threat to water security, especially the freshwater organisms in different communities and habitats under significant threat. In-situ and ex-situ conservation of biodiversity helps conserving species according to their habitat. Effective and sustainable land use planning should be done to safeguard the aquatic organisms' natural freshwater habitats.