Existence of freshwater biodiversity and its fauna

Abstract

Freshwater habitats occupy, 1 percent of the Earth’s surface, yet are hotspots that support 10 percent of all known species, and, 1/3 of vertebrate species. Freshwaters also are hotspots for human activities that have led to widespread habitat degradation, pollution, flow regulation and water extraction, fisheries over exploitation, and alien species (species introduced by humans) introductions. Not all aquatic environments are similar in nature. While some marine environments are comparatively stable, but very different conditions prevail in rivers, lakes and other inland waters. The Rivers has the highest species diversity of any other freshwater system and richness in species. This diversity provides benefits to humans both directly, such as through livelihoods from fisheries and indirectly through purification of water for drinking purpose. In the world network of rivers and lake basins are identified as potential key biodiversity areas most important for the protection of threatened and restricted range species. Today due to human-assisted spread of non-indigenous fishes and aquatic invertebrates, microbes and plants has strong ecological impacts in rivers and lakes worldwide. The freshwater bodies facing the impact which causes severe declines in the range and abundance of many freshwater species, due to that they are far more imperiled than their marine or terrestrial counterparts. This review paper focused on the conservation of freshwater biodiversity and outline key challenges for the future.