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The role of anthropogenic habitats in freshwater mussel conservation

Journal

GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
Volume 27, Issue 11, Pages 2298-2314

Publisher

WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15549

Keywords

ecological traps; freshwater biodiversity; novel ecosystems; sink habitats; unionids

Funding

  1. COST project [CA18239]
  2. Institute of Environmental Sciences Jagiellonian University [N18/DBS/000003]
  3. Aragon Government

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Anthropogenic freshwater habitats offer potential for long-term conservation of freshwater mussels, but may also act as ecological traps. These habitats are not a cure-all for conservation problems, and more research is needed to understand the trade-offs between human use and conservation within them.
Anthropogenic freshwater habitats may provide undervalued prospects for long-term conservation as part of species conservation planning. This fundamental, but overlooked, issue requires attention considering the pace that humans have been altering natural freshwater ecosystems and the accelerated levels of biodiversity decline in recent decades. We compiled 709 records of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia, Unionida) inhabiting a broad variety of anthropogenic habitat types (from small ponds to large reservoirs and canals) and reviewed their importance as refuges for this faunal group. Most records came from Europe and North America, with a clear dominance of canals and reservoirs. The dataset covered 228 species, including 34 threatened species on the IUCN Red List. We discuss the conservation importance and provide guidance on how these anthropogenic habitats could be managed to provide optimal conservation value to freshwater mussels. This review also shows that some of these habitats may function as ecological traps owing to conflicting management practices or because they act as a sink for some populations. Therefore, anthropogenic habitats should not be seen as a panacea to resolve conservation problems. More information is necessary to better understand the trade-offs between human use and the conservation of freshwater mussels (and other biota) within anthropogenic habitats, given the low number of quantitative studies and the strong biogeographic knowledge bias that persists.

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