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Threats of global warming to the world's freshwater fishes.

ABSTRACT: Climate change poses a significant threat to global biodiversity, but freshwater fishes have been largely ignored in climate change assessments. Here, we assess threats of future flow and water temperature extremes to ~11,500 riverine fish species. In a 3.2 °C warmer world (no further emission cuts after current governments' pledges for 2030), 36% of the species have over half of their present-day geographic range exposed to climatic extremes beyond current levels. Threats are largest in tropical and sub-arid regions and increases in maximum water temperature are more threatening than changes in flow extremes. In comparison, 9% of the species are projected to have more than half of their present-day geographic range threatened in a 2 °C warmer world, which further reduces to 4% of the species if warming is limited to 1.5 °C. Our results highlight the need to intensify (inter)national commitments to limit global warming if freshwater biodiversity is to be safeguarded.

SUBMITTER: Barbarossa V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7960982 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Threats of global warming to the world's freshwater fishes.

Barbarossa Valerio V Bosmans Joyce J Wanders Niko N King Henry H Bierkens Marc F P MFP Huijbregts Mark A J MAJ Schipper Aafke M AM

Nature communications 20210315 1

Climate change poses a significant threat to global biodiversity, but freshwater fishes have been largely ignored in climate change assessments. Here, we assess threats of future flow and water temperature extremes to ~11,500 riverine fish species. In a 3.2 °C warmer world (no further emission cuts after current governments' pledges for 2030), 36% of the species have over half of their present-day geographic range exposed to climatic extremes beyond current levels. Threats are largest in tropica ...[more]

PMID: 33723261

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Dataset Information

Threats of global warming to the world's freshwater fishes.

Publications

Threats of global warming to the world's freshwater fishes.

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