agriculture, among other factors. For example, round about 40% of the freshwater
habitats and 85% of the mires in the European Union are threatened to some degree
(Janssen et al. 2016).
The number of critically endangered species which live in wetlands still is
extremely high across Europe and on other continents as well (IUCN 2019,
cf. Table 1).
Various solutions for the management of wetlands with respect to environmental
conditions and natural processes have been published and are currently applied.
These are e.g. dismantling of dams or disclaimer of new dams and barrages,
regulation of water withdrawal for human use, incentives for the reduction of the
Table 1 Numbers of threatened species in wetlands (freshwater) with respect to habitat group,
geography, taxonomy and threat (numbers according to IUCN 2019; threat categories used: CR
critically endangered, EN endangered, VU vulnerable). Note that some of the species can live in
more than one continental region or habitat type and may be threatened by a combination of
different factors. Thus, some of the numbers are not additive
CR
CR, EN, VU
Number of threatened species
1518 6026
Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands and shrub dominated wetlands
172
869
Freshwater lakes, ponds and rivers
1370 5381
Karst and other subterranean hydrological inland systems
87
384
North America incl. Greenland and excl. Hawaiian Islands
83
314
Mesoamerica and Carribean
169
499
South America
189
694
Europe excl. Greenland
193
732
Africa
396 1644
North, West and Central Asia
100
391
East, South and Southeast Asia
311 1485
Oceania
92
362
Vascular plants
150
681
Fish species
475 1868
Amphibians
338 1245
Mollusks
300
935
Arthropods
170
822
Threatened by residential and commercial development
340 1600
Threatened by agriculture and aquaculture
578 2451
Threatened by energy production and mining
182
809
Threatened by transportation and service corridors
95
438
Threatened by biological resource use
646 2516
Threatened by human intrusions and disturbance
165
681
Threatened by natural system modifications
676 2584
Threatened by invasive and other problematic species, genes and diseases
604 1819
Threatened by pollution
772 2868
Threatened by geological events
52
100
Threatened by climate change and severe weather
269 1010
324
M. Lindner and C. Hobohm
habitats and 85% of the mires in the European Union are threatened to some degree
(Janssen et al. 2016).
The number of critically endangered species which live in wetlands still is
extremely high across Europe and on other continents as well (IUCN 2019,
cf. Table 1).
Various solutions for the management of wetlands with respect to environmental
conditions and natural processes have been published and are currently applied.
These are e.g. dismantling of dams or disclaimer of new dams and barrages,
regulation of water withdrawal for human use, incentives for the reduction of the
Table 1 Numbers of threatened species in wetlands (freshwater) with respect to habitat group,
geography, taxonomy and threat (numbers according to IUCN 2019; threat categories used: CR
critically endangered, EN endangered, VU vulnerable). Note that some of the species can live in
more than one continental region or habitat type and may be threatened by a combination of
different factors. Thus, some of the numbers are not additive
CR
CR, EN, VU
Number of threatened species
1518 6026
Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens, peatlands and shrub dominated wetlands
172
869
Freshwater lakes, ponds and rivers
1370 5381
Karst and other subterranean hydrological inland systems
87
384
North America incl. Greenland and excl. Hawaiian Islands
83
314
Mesoamerica and Carribean
169
499
South America
189
694
Europe excl. Greenland
193
732
Africa
396 1644
North, West and Central Asia
100
391
East, South and Southeast Asia
311 1485
Oceania
92
362
Vascular plants
150
681
Fish species
475 1868
Amphibians
338 1245
Mollusks
300
935
Arthropods
170
822
Threatened by residential and commercial development
340 1600
Threatened by agriculture and aquaculture
578 2451
Threatened by energy production and mining
182
809
Threatened by transportation and service corridors
95
438
Threatened by biological resource use
646 2516
Threatened by human intrusions and disturbance
165
681
Threatened by natural system modifications
676 2584
Threatened by invasive and other problematic species, genes and diseases
604 1819
Threatened by pollution
772 2868
Threatened by geological events
52
100
Threatened by climate change and severe weather
269 1010
324
M. Lindner and C. Hobohm