Freshwater environments cover about 1% of Earth's surface while accounting for more than 10% of known species. Like many marine and terrestrial ecosystems, however, they are in distress. A new study looking at some of the denizens of freshwater habitats offers a stark illustration of this biodiversity predicament. Researchers assessed the status of 23,496 species of freshwater animals in groups including fishes, crustaceans such as crabs, crayfish and shrimp and insects such as dragonflies and damselflies, finding 24% of them at a high risk of extinction. FILE PHOTO: A scientist holds a calico crayfish (Orconectes immunis) in Rheinstetten, Germany. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski "Prevalent threats include pollution, dams and water extraction, agriculture and invasive species, with overha...
Read More
You must be logged in to post a comment.