Conservation of freshwater bivalves at the global scale: diversity, threats and research needs

Abstract

Bivalves are ubiquitous members of freshwater ecosystems and responsible for important functions and services. The present paper revises freshwater bivalve diversity, conservation status and threats at the global scale and discusses future research needs and management actions. The diversity patterns are uneven across the globe with hotspots in the interior basin in the United States of America (USA), Central America, Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Freshwater bivalves are affected by multiple threats that vary across the globe; however, pollution and natural system (habitat) modifications being consistently found as the most impacting. Freshwater bivalves are among the most threatened groups in the world with 40% of the species being near threatened, threatened or extinct, and among them the order Unionida is the most endangered. We suggest that global cooperation between scientists, managers, politicians and general public, and application of new technologies (new generation sequencing and remote sensing, among others) will strengthen the quality of studies on the natural history and conservation of freshwater bivalves. Finally, we introduce

Developing a standard approach for monitoring freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) populations in European rivers

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“…On fine sediments, unionid mussels are an important source of hard substratum (Schloesser et al., ; Sousa et al., ; Strayer & Smith, ). This implies their high importance for the successful development of dreissenid populations and potential conservation problems for unionids, often already endangered by habitat loss, pollution, climate change and/or excessive harvesting (Lopes‐Lima et al., , ; Ricciardi & Rasmussen, ). Reports on the outcome of the interactions between dreissenids and unionids vary from heavy extirpation of the latter (Ricciardi et al., ; Schloesser et al., ) to co‐existence with no signs of decline (Burlakova, Karatayev, & Padilla, ; Lewandowski, ).…”

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