Freshwater Biodiversity: Status, Threats and Conservation

'Dudgeon (Univ. of Hong Kong) draws on his 40 years of experience as a freshwater ecologist to provide a comprehensive overview of scientific research on these impacts. He adopts a global approach in every chapter, offering detailed examples from worldwide sites, such as the Mekong Basin, Lake Victoria, and the Great Lakes. After describing the biodiversity of freshwaters and their many uses by people, Dudgeon focuses on the three major causes of declining biodiversity: overexploitation (from fishing and hunting), introduced species, and modification of rivers and lakes (through dams and water removal). Many of the best-documented cases of biodiversity decline are found among fish, but other animals are not neglected. Climate change and its future effects are addressed as well. The book closes with a discussion of ways in which people may work to prevent and undo the harm to freshwater ecosystems and the many species that depend on them.' M. P. Gustafson, Choice 'In Freshwater Biodiversity, Dudgeon presents an impressive compilation of the status, threats, and prospects of the Earth's freshwater biodiversity that will be of great use for professionals or students interested in freshwater conservation … readers interested in the freshwater conservation crisis will find this volume a valuable resource.' Windsor E. Aguirre, The Quarterly Review of Biology