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Letter. Implications of bias in conservation research and investment for freshwater species

Letter. Implications of bias in conservation research and investment for freshwater species
Letter. Implications of bias in conservation research and investment for freshwater species
Human population growth and economic development threaten the integrity of freshwater ecosystems globally, reducing their ability to support biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. However, our knowledge of freshwater biodiversity is fragmented due to bias in conservation research toward primarily terrestrial or charismatic taxonomic groups. Here, we utilize the most comprehensive assessment of freshwater biodiversity for an entire continent to examine the implications of this shortfall. Results indicate that groups that have been the focus of most conservation research are poor surrogates for patterns of both richness and threat for many freshwater groups, and that the existing protected area network underrepresents freshwater species. Areas of highest species richness and threat are congruent with areas where reliance on ecosystem services by humans and pressures placed on freshwater ecosystems are high. These results have implications for targets to reduce biodiversity loss and safeguard associated ecosystem services on which millions of people depend globally.
freshwater, biodiversity, africa, surrogates, poverty, livelihoods, threatened, red list, protected areas, key biodiversity areas
1755-263X
474-482
Darwall, William R.T.
643b3779-03ab-4fc4-bb3a-d4a9bc2002de
Holland, Robert A.
9c245e65-06bb-4b0e-8214-2b00ad2a47df
Smith, Kevin G.
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Allen, David
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Brooks, Emma G.E.
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Katarya, Vineet
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Pollock, Caroline M.
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Shi, Yichuan
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Clausnitzer, Viola
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Cumberlidge, Neil
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Cuttelod, Annabelle
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Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe
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Diop, Mame D.
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García, Nieves
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Seddon, Mary B.
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Skelton, Paul H.
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Snoeks, Jos
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Tweddle, Denis
f4865e30-fddd-4a9e-8756-aacc1a0325d7
Vie, Jean-Christophe
81982881-ca9c-4e76-8337-315c44681df8
Darwall, William R.T.
643b3779-03ab-4fc4-bb3a-d4a9bc2002de
Holland, Robert A.
9c245e65-06bb-4b0e-8214-2b00ad2a47df
Smith, Kevin G.
93a64efc-f163-4b1d-95fe-49564f06a0fc
Allen, David
f75e4cda-3c29-4fd9-98ce-3c60a5fecf26
Brooks, Emma G.E.
7efc2e37-886f-4c6b-b7e7-c56e189bc1cc
Katarya, Vineet
d1231d10-fc56-47d8-8477-4a9499b9b9e5
Pollock, Caroline M.
f9dad69e-51a7-4898-a236-d3a4e4f853a1
Shi, Yichuan
6d593fae-4707-4b21-afc7-98d5b6941171
Clausnitzer, Viola
aee68a28-efb5-432a-ab17-5bc7abe0b42a
Cumberlidge, Neil
7bb13086-4cd9-4d57-a2de-638b05a055d7
Cuttelod, Annabelle
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Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe
a1bbfc14-6b30-47ae-ba24-8d0eb7a42ca9
Diop, Mame D.
e7d89a8d-2f8b-4c92-885e-21d52da76ae2
García, Nieves
9da0ca99-2c66-4534-ad21-242ff9dd9c25
Seddon, Mary B.
e1d344b1-2f2b-4bf8-8676-3de64d16aaba
Skelton, Paul H.
b4961e43-8634-41f2-9d62-02935af530c8
Snoeks, Jos
c6df987a-979c-4b4c-a4ad-15f7cc1a4e55
Tweddle, Denis
f4865e30-fddd-4a9e-8756-aacc1a0325d7
Vie, Jean-Christophe
81982881-ca9c-4e76-8337-315c44681df8

Darwall, William R.T., Holland, Robert A., Smith, Kevin G., Allen, David, Brooks, Emma G.E., Katarya, Vineet, Pollock, Caroline M., Shi, Yichuan, Clausnitzer, Viola, Cumberlidge, Neil, Cuttelod, Annabelle, Dijkstra, Klaas-Douwe, Diop, Mame D., García, Nieves, Seddon, Mary B., Skelton, Paul H., Snoeks, Jos, Tweddle, Denis and Vie, Jean-Christophe (2011) Letter. Implications of bias in conservation research and investment for freshwater species. Conservation Letters, 4 (6), 474-482. (doi:10.1111/j.1755-263X.2011.00202.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Human population growth and economic development threaten the integrity of freshwater ecosystems globally, reducing their ability to support biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. However, our knowledge of freshwater biodiversity is fragmented due to bias in conservation research toward primarily terrestrial or charismatic taxonomic groups. Here, we utilize the most comprehensive assessment of freshwater biodiversity for an entire continent to examine the implications of this shortfall. Results indicate that groups that have been the focus of most conservation research are poor surrogates for patterns of both richness and threat for many freshwater groups, and that the existing protected area network underrepresents freshwater species. Areas of highest species richness and threat are congruent with areas where reliance on ecosystem services by humans and pressures placed on freshwater ecosystems are high. These results have implications for targets to reduce biodiversity loss and safeguard associated ecosystem services on which millions of people depend globally.

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Published date: December 2011
Keywords: freshwater, biodiversity, africa, surrogates, poverty, livelihoods, threatened, red list, protected areas, key biodiversity areas
Organisations: Centre for Biological Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 335372
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/335372
ISSN: 1755-263X
PURE UUID: 4ce3a8dd-5b90-4ee9-b051-a79ccc9fa772
ORCID for Robert A. Holland: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3038-9227

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Date deposited: 13 Mar 2012 10:50
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:43

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Contributors

Author: William R.T. Darwall
Author: Kevin G. Smith
Author: David Allen
Author: Emma G.E. Brooks
Author: Vineet Katarya
Author: Caroline M. Pollock
Author: Yichuan Shi
Author: Viola Clausnitzer
Author: Neil Cumberlidge
Author: Annabelle Cuttelod
Author: Klaas-Douwe Dijkstra
Author: Mame D. Diop
Author: Nieves García
Author: Mary B. Seddon
Author: Paul H. Skelton
Author: Jos Snoeks
Author: Denis Tweddle
Author: Jean-Christophe Vie

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