Freshwater Biodiversity: Importance, Threats, Status and Conservation Challenges
Biol. Rev. (2006), 81, pp. 163–182. f 2005 Cambridge PhilosophicalSociety 163 doi:10.1017/S1464793105006950 Printedin the UnitedKingdom Freshwater biodiversity: importance, threats, status and conservation challenges David Dudgeon1*, Angela H. Arthington2, Mark O. Gessner3, Zen-Ichiro Kawabata4, Duncan J. Knowler5, Christian Le´veˆque6, Robert J. Naiman7, Anne-He´le`ne Prieur-Richard8, Doris Soto9, Melanie L. J. Stiassny10 and Caroline A. Sullivan11 1 DepartmentofEcology &Biodiversity, The University ofHong Kong, HongKong SAR, China 2 Centre for Riverine Landscapes andCooperative Research Centre for RainforestEcology andManagement, Faculty ofEnvironmentalSciences, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, Queensland4111, Australia 3 DepartmentofLimnology, Swiss FederalInstitute ofAquatic Science andTechnology (Eawag/ETH), 6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland 4 Research Institute for Humanity andNature,335 Takashima-cho, Marutamachi-dori, Kawaramachi nishi-iru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-0878, Japan 5 SchoolofResource andEnvironmentalManagement, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6 6 Institutde Recherches pour le D´eveloppement,1 rue de Marnes, 92410 Ville d’Avray, France 7 SchoolofAquatic &Fishery Sciences, University ofWashington–355020, Seattle, WA 98195, USA 8 DIVERSITAS,51 bdMontmorency, 75016 Paris, France 9 Instituto de Acuicultura, UniversidadAustralde Chile, Nu´cleo Milenio FORECOS, Casilla 1327, Puerto Montt, Chile 10 DepartmentofIchthyology, American Museum ofNaturalHistory, New York, NY10024, USA 11 Centre for Ecology andHydrology, WallingfordOX10 8BB, UK (Received18 April2005; revised30 September 2005; accepted17 October 2005) ABSTRACT Freshwater biodiversity is the over-riding conservation priority during the International Decade for Action–‘Water for Life’– 2005 to 2015. Fresh water makes up only 0.01% of the World’s water and approximately 0.8% ofthe Earth’s surface, yet this tiny fraction ofglobal water supports at least 100000 species out ofapproximately 1.8 million– almost 6% ofall described species.
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