Freshwater ecosystem services resilience in a changing world

Autors/ores

  • Ana Paula Portela Faculdade de Ciências Universidade do Porto

Resum

Healthy freshwater ecosystems provide essential ecosystem services to society such as clean water. However, freshwater ecosystems are degraded, and freshwater biodiversity is severely threatened due to anthropogenic impacts and stressors. Climate change compounds on existing stressors and may compromise the resilience of freshwater ecosystem and their services in the future.

Here the aim is to review advances in the assessment of freshwater ecosystem services and their resilience to environmental change. This work presents a review of the ecosystem services provided by freshwaters, the conceptual background on ecological resilience, and case studies on the resilience of freshwater ecosystems and their services. Case studies from African lakes, the Pantanal wetland in Brazil and the Murray-Darling Basin riparian forests in Australia are used to understand the resilience of freshwater ecosystem services to recent and ongoing climate changes and disturbances.

The review suggests that the resilience of freshwater ecosystems and their services is being eroded by climate change and extreme events. However, a high degree of uncertainty remains regarding the trajectories of these systems and how close they may be to tipping points. Research is needed to understand the dynamics of freshwater socio-ecological systems and ensure resilient ecosystems and societies in the future.

Descàrregues

Publicades

2026-01-14

Número

Secció

Research Paper