Freshwater Species At Greatest Extinction Risk: 4-6X Higher Than For Terrestrial Species

Creatures and plants living in rivers and lakes are the most threatened on Earth because their ecosystems are collapsing, according to scientists. They urged the creation of a new partnership between governments and scientists to help stem extinctions caused by humans via pollution, a spread of cities and expanding farms to feed a rising population, climate change and invasive species. Governments globally had aimed to slow the losses of all species by 2010. "Massive mismanagement and growing human needs for water are causing freshwater ecosystems to collapse, making freshwater species the most threatened on Earth," according to Diversitas, an international grouping of biodiversity experts.

Extinction rates for species living in freshwater were "four to six times higher than their terrestrial and marine cousins." Fish, frogs, crocodiles or turtles are among freshwater species. "The 2010 target isn't going to be met," said Hal Mooney, a professor at Stanford University, who is chair of Diversitas.

Diversitas will hold talks among more than 600 experts in Cape Town, South Africa, from today to Friday to discuss ways to protect life on the planet. World leaders agreed at a 2002 Earth Summit in Johannesburg to achieve by 2010 a "significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biological diversity."

"Changes to ecosystems and losses of biodiversity have continued to accelerate ... Species extinction rates are at least 100 times those in pre-human times and are expected to continue to increase," Georgina Mace of Imperial College in London, vice-chair of Diversitas, said in a statement.

EDIT

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091013/world-news/freshwater-species-suffer-most-as-extinctions-rise

It makes sense that aquatic systems, especially smaller fresh-water ones would be endangered first.

Ah, water again. An ominious reccurring theme.