Crabs, prawns and prawns are among the most threatened species, followed by fish and dragonflies: according to a detailed assessment of the extinction of over 23 thousand species of freshwater fauna made by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, species of fresh water are indeed at high risk.
The research, published in Nature, found that at least 4,294 species out of 23,496 freshwater animals on the Red List are at high risk of extinction and the main threats to the existence of freshwater fauna arise from pollution, substances used in agriculture, structures such as dams and the arrival of invasive species.
Freshwater landscapes – explains Catherine Sayer, Freshwater Biodiversity Lead of the IUCN and lead author of the document – are home to 10% of all known species on Earth and are fundamental for the safe drinking water of billions of people, the means of subsistence, flood control and climate change mitigation, and must be protected for both nature and people.
The study, which and where are the most threatened animals
According to investigations, most of the threatened species are:
Additionally, researchers have found that groundwater systems globally contain more threatened species than expected. In North America, for example, there are high numbers of endangered crayfish, such as the daisy crayfish (Fallicambarus jeanae) in Arkansas, which is among those listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Pollution, primarily from agriculture and forestry, impacts more than half of all threatened freshwater animals. The
What threatens ecosystems the most are:
The animals at highest risk of extinction
In the groups analyzed they are most in danger (in order):
