1. Freshwater mussel conservation: A global horizon scan of emerging threats and opportunities.
- Author
-
Aldridge DC, Ollard IS, Bespalaya YV, Bolotov IN, Douda K, Geist J, Haag WR, Klunzinger MW, Lopes-Lima M, Mlambo MC, Riccardi N, Sousa R, Strayer DL, Torres SH, Vaughn CC, Zając T, and Zieritz A
- Subjects
- Animals, Conservation of Natural Resources, Fresh Water, Rivers, Ecosystem, Bivalvia
- Abstract
We identified 14 emerging and poorly understood threats and opportunities for addressing the global conservation of freshwater mussels over the next decade. A panel of 17 researchers and stakeholders from six continents submitted a total of 56 topics that were ranked and prioritized using a consensus-building Delphi technique. Our 14 priority topics fell into five broad themes (autecology, population dynamics, global stressors, global diversity, and ecosystem services) and included understanding diets throughout mussel life history; identifying the drivers of population declines; defining metrics for quantifying mussel health; assessing the role of predators, parasites, and disease; informed guidance on the risks and opportunities for captive breeding and translocations; the loss of mussel-fish co-evolutionary relationships; assessing the effects of increasing surface water changes; understanding the effects of sand and aggregate mining; understanding the effects of drug pollution and other emerging contaminants such as nanomaterials; appreciating the threats and opportunities arising from river restoration; conserving understudied hotspots by building local capacity through the principles of decolonization; identifying appropriate taxonomic units for conservation; improved quantification of the ecosystem services provided by mussels; and understanding how many mussels are enough to provide these services. Solutions for addressing the topics ranged from ecological studies to technological advances and socio-political engagement. Prioritization of our topics can help to drive a proactive approach to the conservation of this declining group which provides a multitude of important ecosystem services., (© 2022 The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF