Abstract
AbstractFreshwater biodiversity loss exceeds that in terrestrial systems; fishes are a predominant indicator of this catastrophe. Current worldwide estimates of freshwater fish species threatened with extinction are about 30%. We discuss why standard monitoring of the status of most fishes is inadequate to keep up with declines. Rapid population declines and shrinking freshwater fish distributions result in shifting baselines that make it challenging to evaluate conservation status reliably and promptly and effectively address further decreases. We present the California Method for Status Evaluation of Fishes as an alternative to existing methods for assessing the regional status of freshwater fishes. This method uses local expertise to score metrics and generates a fish status rating to inform short‐term management decisions. This approach applies to Distinct Population Segments, subspecies, species, and entire regional fish faunas and is adaptable to local, changing environmental conditions. Using this method, we update the freshwater status scores for 131 native California fish species, a fauna in rapid decline.
Highlights
Freshwater biodiversity loss exceeds that of terrestrial systems
For California freshwater fishes, we have found that about 10% of California fishes have not been evaluated by NatureServe, and many more require status updating
The results show that NatureServe and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List agree only about 50% of the time with the California Method scores (Figure 4; Table S2)
Summary
Freshwater biodiversity loss exceeds that of terrestrial systems. Freshwater fishes are a leading indicator of this calamity (Harrison et al, 2018; Reid, Carlson, Creed, Eliason, et al, 2018; World Wildlife Fund, 2021). While the IUCN Red List and the GLPI provide the best syntheses of worldwide trends in fish populations, these efforts have limited utility for conservation actions at the local or regional scale (e.g., Faucheux, Craig, & Bonner, 2019) This problem stems from the nature of the two approaches that need constant updating with large amounts of sampling data to be reliable. The IUCN Red List (2021) relies on five, stand alone, quantitative criteria (i.e., population size reduction, geographic range/area of occupancy, small population size and decline, number of mature individuals, and the probability of extinction) to assess the threatened status of a taxon This approach uses a standard template for all species, terrestrial and aquatic, which we (authors) have found cumbersome to apply to fishes. Long-term habitat protection or improvements (e.g., habitat restoration) needed, but no immediate threats need to be addressed
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