Knowledge Gaps in the Definition of Threats for the Red List Assessment of European Freshwater-Dependent Fish Species

Freshwater ecosystems are disproportionally important for biodiversity conservation, as they support more than 9% of known animal species while representing less than 1% of the Earth’s surface. However, the vast majority of the threats (99%, or 826 out of 837) identified by the International Union f...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Paulo Branco, Pedro Segurado, Maria João Costa, Afonso Teixeira, José Maria Santos, Maria Teresa Ferreira, Gonçalo Duarte
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
Series:Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/7/680
Description
Summary:Freshwater ecosystems are disproportionally important for biodiversity conservation, as they support more than 9% of known animal species while representing less than 1% of the Earth’s surface. However, the vast majority of the threats (99%, or 826 out of 837) identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species known to affect the 434 known freshwater-dependent fish and lampreys of Europe are not supported by validated published scientific knowledge. This general lack of information about freshwater-dependent fish and lamprey species may have deleterious effects on species conservation, and additional funding is required to fill baseline knowledge gaps.
ISSN:2079-7737