The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt

Peter Haase (), Diana E. Bowler, Nathan J. Baker, Núria Bonada, Sami Domisch, Jaime R. Garcia Marquez, Jani Heino, Daniel Hering, Sonja C. Jähnig, Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber, Rachel Stubbington, Florian Altermatt, Mario Álvarez-Cabria, Giuseppe Amatulli, David G. Angeler, Gaït Archambaud-Suard, Iñaki Arrate Jorrín, Thomas Aspin, Iker Azpiroz, Iñaki Bañares, José Barquín Ortiz, Christian L. Bodin, Luca Bonacina, Roberta Bottarin, Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles, Zoltán Csabai, Thibault Datry, Elvira Eyto, Alain Dohet, Gerald Dörflinger, Emma Drohan, Knut A. Eikland, Judy England, Tor E. Eriksen, Vesela Evtimova, Maria J. Feio, Martial Ferréol, Mathieu Floury, Maxence Forcellini, Marie Anne Eurie Forio, Riccardo Fornaroli, Nikolai Friberg, Jean-François Fruget, Galia Georgieva, Peter Goethals, Manuel A. S. Graça, Wolfram Graf, Andy House, Kaisa-Leena Huttunen, Thomas C. Jensen, Richard K. Johnson, J. Iwan Jones, Jens Kiesel, Lenka Kuglerová, Aitor Larrañaga, Patrick Leitner, Lionel L’Hoste, Marie-Helène Lizée, Armin W. Lorenz, Anthony Maire, Jesús Alberto Manzanos Arnaiz, Brendan G. McKie, Andrés Millán, Don Monteith, Timo Muotka, John F. Murphy, Davis Ozolins, Riku Paavola, Petr Paril, Francisco J. Peñas, Francesca Pilotto, Marek Polášek, Jes Jessen Rasmussen, Manu Rubio, David Sánchez-Fernández, Leonard Sandin, Ralf B. Schäfer, Alberto Scotti, Longzhu Q. Shen, Agnija Skuja, Stefan Stoll, Michal Straka, Henn Timm, Violeta G. Tyufekchieva, Iakovos Tziortzis, Yordan Uzunov, Gea H. Lee, Rudy Vannevel, Emilia Varadinova, Gábor Várbíró, Gaute Velle, Piet F. M. Verdonschot, Ralf C. M. Verdonschot, Yanka Vidinova, Peter Wiberg-Larsen and Ellen A. R. Welti ()
Additional contact information
Peter Haase: Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt
Diana E. Bowler: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Nathan J. Baker: Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt
Núria Bonada: University of Barcelona
Sami Domisch: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Jaime R. Garcia Marquez: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Jani Heino: University of Oulu
Daniel Hering: University of Duisburg-Essen
Sonja C. Jähnig: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Rachel Stubbington: Nottingham Trent University
Florian Altermatt: University of Zurich
Mario Álvarez-Cabria: IHCantabria—Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria
Giuseppe Amatulli: Yale University
David G. Angeler: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Gaït Archambaud-Suard: INRAE, UMR RECOVER Aix Marseille Univ, Centre d’Aix-en-Provence
Iñaki Arrate Jorrín: Agencia Vasca del Agua
Thomas Aspin: Wessex Water
Iker Azpiroz: Ekolur Asesoría Ambiental SLL
Iñaki Bañares: Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa
José Barquín Ortiz: IHCantabria—Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria
Christian L. Bodin: NORCE Norwegian Research Centre
Luca Bonacina: University of Milano-Bicocca
Roberta Bottarin: Eurac Research
Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles: University of Barcelona
Zoltán Csabai: University of Pécs
Thibault Datry: INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne
Elvira Eyto: Marine Institute
Alain Dohet: Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
Gerald Dörflinger: Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment
Emma Drohan: Dundalk Institute of Technology
Knut A. Eikland: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)
Judy England: Environment Agency
Tor E. Eriksen: Norwegian Institute for Water Research
Vesela Evtimova: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Maria J. Feio: University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET
Martial Ferréol: INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne
Mathieu Floury: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Maxence Forcellini: INRAE, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne
Marie Anne Eurie Forio: Ghent University
Riccardo Fornaroli: University of Milano-Bicocca
Nikolai Friberg: Norwegian Institute for Water Research
Jean-François Fruget: ARALEP—Ecologie des Eaux Douces
Galia Georgieva: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Peter Goethals: Ghent University
Manuel A. S. Graça: University of Coimbra, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ARNET
Wolfram Graf: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Andy House: Wessex Water
Kaisa-Leena Huttunen: University of Oulu
Thomas C. Jensen: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)
Richard K. Johnson: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
J. Iwan Jones: Queen Mary University of London
Jens Kiesel: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Lenka Kuglerová: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Aitor Larrañaga: University of the Basque Country
Patrick Leitner: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences
Lionel L’Hoste: Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
Marie-Helène Lizée: INRAE, UMR RECOVER Aix Marseille Univ, Centre d’Aix-en-Provence
Armin W. Lorenz: University of Duisburg-Essen
Anthony Maire: EDF Recherche et Développement
Jesús Alberto Manzanos Arnaiz: Agencia Vasca del Agua
Brendan G. McKie: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Andrés Millán: University of Murcia
Don Monteith: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre
Timo Muotka: University of Oulu
John F. Murphy: Queen Mary University of London
Davis Ozolins: University of Latvia
Riku Paavola: University of Oulu Infrastructure Platform
Petr Paril: Masaryk University
Francisco J. Peñas: IHCantabria—Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria
Francesca Pilotto: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)
Marek Polášek: Masaryk University
Jes Jessen Rasmussen: Norwegian Institute for Water Research
Manu Rubio: Ekolur Asesoría Ambiental SLL
David Sánchez-Fernández: University of Murcia
Leonard Sandin: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)
Ralf B. Schäfer: RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau
Alberto Scotti: Eurac Research
Longzhu Q. Shen: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)
Agnija Skuja: University of Latvia
Stefan Stoll: University of Duisburg-Essen
Michal Straka: Masaryk University
Henn Timm: Estonian University of Life Sciences
Violeta G. Tyufekchieva: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Iakovos Tziortzis: Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment
Yordan Uzunov: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Gea H. Lee: Wageningen University and Research
Rudy Vannevel: Ghent University
Emilia Varadinova: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Gábor Várbíró: Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology
Gaute Velle: NORCE Norwegian Research Centre
Piet F. M. Verdonschot: Wageningen University and Research
Ralf C. M. Verdonschot: Wageningen University and Research
Yanka Vidinova: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Peter Wiberg-Larsen: Aarhus University
Ellen A. R. Welti: Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt

Nature, 2023, vol. 620, issue 7974, 582-588

Abstract: Abstract Owing to a long history of anthropogenic pressures, freshwater ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to biodiversity loss1. Mitigation measures, including wastewater treatment and hydromorphological restoration, have aimed to improve environmental quality and foster the recovery of freshwater biodiversity2. Here, using 1,816 time series of freshwater invertebrate communities collected across 22 European countries between 1968 and 2020, we quantified temporal trends in taxonomic and functional diversity and their responses to environmental pressures and gradients. We observed overall increases in taxon richness (0.73% per year), functional richness (2.4% per year) and abundance (1.17% per year). However, these increases primarily occurred before the 2010s, and have since plateaued. Freshwater communities downstream of dams, urban areas and cropland were less likely to experience recovery. Communities at sites with faster rates of warming had fewer gains in taxon richness, functional richness and abundance. Although biodiversity gains in the 1990s and 2000s probably reflect the effectiveness of water-quality improvements and restoration projects, the decelerating trajectory in the 2010s suggests that the current measures offer diminishing returns. Given new and persistent pressures on freshwater ecosystems, including emerging pollutants, climate change and the spread of invasive species, we call for additional mitigation to revive the recovery of freshwater biodiversity.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06400-1

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