Freshwater Biodiversity Crisis: Multidisciplinary Approaches as Tools for Conservation

Ecosystems have been suffering accelerated destruction and modification of their original characteristics, resulting in species extinction and loss of populations still not known to science. This panorama, known as the “biodiversity crisis”, is defined by an increase of about a thousand times in species extinction rates, mainly caused by anthropogenic activity. Therefore, efforts to improve our knowledge on the systematics, taxonomy, ecology, and distribution of species play a key role in species conservation. Among all habitats, freshwaters, which cover about 1% of Earth's surface, are the most threatened. Approximately 3/4 of wetlands were lost during the 20th century, 1/3 of freshwater vertebrate species are threatened with extinction, and freshwater vertebrate populations are declining much more rapidly than terrestrial and marine populations. Freshwaters are home to more than 10% of all known species, including 30% of all vertebrates, a group whose populations have declined more than 80% over the past 50 years. The conservation of freshwater's biodiversity and environments is critical for humanity as it represents the main source of drinking water, as well as food, and is crucial to agronomy and livestock.

Within the rapid degrading context of freshwaters, this Research Topic aims to create an overview of different approaches that contribute to freshwater conservation and policies at a global level. Studies regarding distinct groups of freshwater fauna and flora and aspects related to the implications of taxonomy, ecology, evolution, and biogeography for the conservation of freshwaters are welcome. The goal of this Research Topic is to develop a summary of the status of freshwater biodiversity and propose the next steps and basic guidelines for habitat and species conservation.

This Research Topic welcomes Original Research Articles and Review Articles based on both traditional and modern methods focusing on distinct aspects of global freshwater fauna and flora. Highlights of this topic include but are not limited to, the following points focused on freshwater fauna and flora:

• Species delimitation and DNA barcoding
• Environmental DNA (eDNA)
• Integrative taxonomy
• Biogeography and areas of endemism
• Invasive species
• Regional species inventories
• Anthropogenic impacts
• Importance of scientific collections for conservation
• Identification and delimitation of priority areas for conservation

Keywords: ecosystems, species extinction, conservation, habitats, approaches, freshwater biodiversity, global freshwater, flora and fauna, species delimitation, taxonomy, anthropogenic impacts

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.