Freshwater ecosystems are among the most imperiled on earth, with rivers being particularly susceptible to anthropogenic stress. The valley bottom wetlands regulate stream flow and improve water quality through sediment filtration and absorption of heavy metals and other toxic pollutants. Of North American freshwater species, an estimated 48.5% of mussels, 22.8% of gastropods, 32.7% of crayfishes, 25.9% of amphibians, and 21.2% of fish are either endangered or threatened. [4] These temporal reference conditions are often easier to reconstruct in standing water than moving water because stable sediments can better preserve biological indicator materials. The importance of sustaining ecosystem integrity via protecting the ecosystem services, is undeniable. Freshwater ecosystems provide water for home and farm use and for power generation and industrial development. Kelly Fouchy, ... Gordon O’Brien, in Multiple Stressors in River Ecosystems, 2019. Walter K. Dodds, Matt R. Whiles, in Freshwater Ecology (Third Edition), 2020. Their biodiversity supports recreational activities and tourism. Freshwater ecosystems are directly affected by higher temperatures and the impacts of changing thermal structure and lake chemistry. [1] They can be contrasted with marine ecosystems, which have a larger salt content. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. ScienceDirect ® is a registered trademark of Elsevier B.V. URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128132555000247, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444595591000165, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124095489119372, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080454054007369, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124095489124637, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124095489121177, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124095489111340, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128117132000108, URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128117132000145, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, 2019, Although sometimes plagued with statistical issues such as low replication, whole-ecosystem studies have provided important insight into the structure and function, and relationships between the two, of, Dorothy Wanja Nyingi, ... Mordecai O. Ogada, in, Conservation Challenges to Freshwater Ecosystems, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Freshwater: The Importance of Freshwater for Providing Ecosystem Services, Stella Apostolaki, ... Panagiots Samartzis, in, Multiple Stressors in African Freshwater Systems, Detecting and Quantifying the Impact of Multiple Stress on River Ecosystems. Although sometimes plagued with statistical issues such as low replication, whole-ecosystem studies have provided important insight into the structure and function, and relationships between the two, of freshwater ecosystems.A classic series of studies in Wisconsin involving whole … Reference sites can be selected spatially by choosing sites with minimal impacts from human disturbance and influence. Both holistic and reductionist approaches have their merits and have greatly contributed to our understanding of freshwater systems; combined approaches have proved particularly valuable. This increasingly threatens the sustainability of the health and livelihoods of communities that have depended on this ecosystem since the 1950s (Adekola and Mitchell, 2011). [8], Over 123 freshwater fauna species have gone extinct in North America since 1900. The use of reference sites is common when defining the idealized "health" of a freshwater ecosystem. It is the largest floodplain wetland in Africa, one of the largest mangrove forests in the world, which supports the livelihoods of 30 million people strongly dependent on floodplain ecosystem services, as well as hosts a very rich aquatic life, with mostly endemic species (Adekola and Mitchell, 2011; Shumway, 1999). Unknown stressor interactions challenge aquatic ecosystem management by posing risks of unwanted “ecological surprises.” Future scientific efforts need to concentrate on classifying the relevance and strength of interactive effects across types of stressors, receptors, and existing ecosystems, considering the specific local conditions of the water bodies to be managed. Some of these threats are generated internally (habitat alteration, fragmentation, overexploitation) while others are external (invasive non-native species, climate change, atmospheric pollution). The plants, animals, microbes, rocks, soil, sunlight, and water found in and around this valuable resource are all part of what is called a freshwater ecosystem. From: Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, 2019, Walter K. Dodds, Matt R. Whiles, in Freshwater Ecology (Third Edition), 2020. Freshwater ecosystems play a fundamental ecological role and provide economically important products and services. Freshwater ecosystems, whether surface, that is rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands, groundwater or in the form of ice caps are fundamental for human life and for supporting the vast biodiversity, natural processes and cycling. [6] Common chemical stresses on freshwater ecosystem health include acidification, eutrophication and copper and pesticide contamination. Stella Apostolaki, ... Panagiots Samartzis, in Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, 2019. The same tracer allowed determination of allochthonous versus autochthonous inputs into lake food webs (Pace et al., 2004; Carpenter et al., 2005). [6] Given the dire state of freshwater biodiversity, a team of scientists and practitioners from around the globe recently drafted an Emergency Action plan to try and restore freshwater biodiversity. As water availability is reduced, community composition of organisms will shift to adapt to different conditions. [6] Even using conservative estimates, freshwater fish extinction rates in North America are 877 times higher than background extinction rates (1 in 3,000,000 years). By recharging underground aquifers, the water table is raised, hence making groundwater available in springs and wells to support domestic, industrial and agricultural activities. Less than three percent of our planet’s water is fresh water, and less than half of that is available as a liquid; … Forty experimental and 48 field-based observational studies were covered, dealing with 72 and 151 paired stressor combinations, respectively. By continuing you agree to the use of cookies. Reductionist approaches have the distinct advantage of being more statistically robust and they allow for isolation of specific variables, but results may not always reflect processes and patterns in whole systems. Numerous whole system experimental manipulations have taken place at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in the Appalachian Mountains, and these studies have greatly enhanced our understanding of the ecology of detritus-based headwater streams. In fact, United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that all watersheds analyzed in the continental United States have at least one species at risk. Freshwater ecosystems of western Africa, characterized by a dense network of tropical floodplain and coastal rivers recognized for their unique habitats and species diversity and endemism, are simultaneously challenged by flow alteration, pollution, and habitat loss due to deforestation, agriculture and settlements, mining and oil extraction (Smith et al., 2009).

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