Conserving freshwater species in protected areas

Freshwater species are those species that would disappear if inland (non-marine) habitats, disappeared or were severely degraded. These habitats include rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, bogs, fens, and aquifers. Animals dependent on these habitats account for close to 10 per cent of all animal species. Hence they are a large part of biodiversity on earth and of most Protected Areas (PAs). However, determining what is a freshwater species is difficult for some species groups because on the large variation in the degrees and types of dependence on freshwaters within the group.