Managing threats to freshwater systems within protected areas

View/ Open
File version
Submitted Manuscript (SM)
Author(s)
Pittock, J
Baumgartner, L
Finlayson, CM
Thiem, JD
Forbes, JP
Silva, LGM
Arthington, AH
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2018
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
• Freshwater and estuarine ecosystems are among the most threatened In the world, are under-represented In Protected Area Policies and have the highest portion of species threatened with extinction.
• Freshwater biodiversity is particularly threatened because its conservation depends on: maintaining hydrological processes; retaining longitudinal connectivity of water flows without barriers along rivers; conserving lateral connectivity between a water body and its floodplain; sustaining adequate groundwater-surface water interactions; managing exogenous threats that are propagated across catchments; and Integrating governance ...
View more >• Freshwater and estuarine ecosystems are among the most threatened In the world, are under-represented In Protected Area Policies and have the highest portion of species threatened with extinction. • Freshwater biodiversity is particularly threatened because its conservation depends on: maintaining hydrological processes; retaining longitudinal connectivity of water flows without barriers along rivers; conserving lateral connectivity between a water body and its floodplain; sustaining adequate groundwater-surface water interactions; managing exogenous threats that are propagated across catchments; and Integrating governance by multiple management authorities. The impacts of agriculture, aquaculture and fishing need to be managed. • Where PAs are established particular attention should be given to: minimising impacts of water infrastructure, Invasive species incursion control; reducing impacts of visitor facilities and activities; and pollution prevention. • Floods, droughts and fire are natural processes in many freshwater eco-systems and plants and animals can normally tolerate or recover from them. However, these processes are increasingly exacerbated by climate change leading to changes in ecological character. In different circumstances freshwater ecosystems may attenuate or increase the impacts of natural disasters on people.
View less >
View more >• Freshwater and estuarine ecosystems are among the most threatened In the world, are under-represented In Protected Area Policies and have the highest portion of species threatened with extinction. • Freshwater biodiversity is particularly threatened because its conservation depends on: maintaining hydrological processes; retaining longitudinal connectivity of water flows without barriers along rivers; conserving lateral connectivity between a water body and its floodplain; sustaining adequate groundwater-surface water interactions; managing exogenous threats that are propagated across catchments; and Integrating governance by multiple management authorities. The impacts of agriculture, aquaculture and fishing need to be managed. • Where PAs are established particular attention should be given to: minimising impacts of water infrastructure, Invasive species incursion control; reducing impacts of visitor facilities and activities; and pollution prevention. • Floods, droughts and fire are natural processes in many freshwater eco-systems and plants and animals can normally tolerate or recover from them. However, these processes are increasingly exacerbated by climate change leading to changes in ecological character. In different circumstances freshwater ecosystems may attenuate or increase the impacts of natural disasters on people.
View less >
Book Title
Freshwater Ecosystems in Protected Areas: Conservation and Management
Copyright Statement
© 2018 Taylor & Francis. This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge/CRC Press in Freshwater Ecosystems in Protected Areas: Conservation and Management on 2 January 2018, available online: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781315226385
Subject
Other environmental sciences not elsewhere classified