Can the planetary health concept save freshwater biodiversity and ecosystems?
Steven J. Cooke, Abigail J. Lynch, David Tickner, Robin Abell, Tatenda Dalu, Kathryn J. Fiorella, Rajeev Raghavan, Ian Harrison, Sonja C. Jähnig, Derek Vollmer, Stephen R. Carpenter
Abstract
Rivers, wetlands, lakes, and other freshwater ecosystems collectively cover only 1% of the Earth's surface. Yet, these ecosystems support a disproportionately large and vast array of biodiversity. Currently, these ecosystems face many threats, including pollution, habitat alteration, fragmentation, invasive species, overexploitation, overabstraction, climate change, and other emerging stressors. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature's Living Planet Index, freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity are considered among the most threatened on the planet, with average declines of approximately 83% in the populations of freshwater organisms since 1970.