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Australia's freshwater ecosystems threatened by climate change Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com November 16, 2005 Australia's freshwater ecosystems are increasingly under threat from global warmning and expanding human population according to an interview of an Australian academic by The Age. Of even bigger concern, according to Bunn, is the human response to climate change. "As the climate heats up and water becomes more important because it is dry, the demand from humans will go up," said Bunn to The Age. "As they try to drought-proof their cities, they will build more dams, which impedes the movement of the freshwater systems, and more water for agriculture will be needed to produce crops for an increasing population." Global freshwater biodiversity is highly threatened today. A Malaysian study found fewer than half of the 266 resident fish species, while more than 30% of Singapore's fish species are thought to be extinct. Freshwater biodiversity is highly vulnerable. Habitats tend to be largely discontinuous meaning species cannot easily cross land barriers that separate lakes and watersheds. Thus freshwater fauna is generally localized, static, and subject changing conditions. Whereas terrestrial species simply migrate in response to habitat changes, freshwater species must cope with ecological and climatic changes in order to persist.
Freshwater habitats are facing an onslaught of threats from deforestation, waterway modification and dam construction, the introduction exotic species, pollution, and over-exploitation. This article used information from The Age
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