Dams contribute to water security, energy supply, and flood protection but also fragment habitats of freshwater species. Yet, a global species-level assessment dam-induced fragmentation is lacking. Here, we assessed the degree occurrence ranges ∼10,000 lotic fish species worldwide due ∼40,000 existing large dams ∼3,700 additional future hydropower dams. Per river basin, quantified connectivity index (CI) for each by combining its range with high-resolution hydrography locations Ranges...

Abstract Climate change poses a significant threat to global biodiversity, but freshwater fishes have been largely ignored in climate assessments. Here, we assess threats of future flow and water temperature extremes ~11,500 riverine fish species. In 3.2 °C warmer world (no further emission cuts after current governments’ pledges for 2030), 36% the species over half their present-day geographic range exposed climatic beyond levels. Threats are largest tropical sub-arid regions increases...

Abstract Habitat fragmentation due to dams is a well‐known threat freshwater fish. Yet, the global consequences of for viability fish populations are unknown. Here, we provide first assessment threats persistence species. We developed macroecological relationship between range size and body used this assess whether isolated fragments too small support Our includes 7369 species considers effects 31,780 globally. Furthermore, performed more detailed analysis in Brazil, greater Mekong region...

Streamflow data is highly relevant for a variety of socio-economic as well ecological analyses or applications, but high-resolution global streamflow dataset yet lacking. We created FLO1K, consistent at resolution 30 arc seconds (~1 km) and coverage. FLO1K comprises mean, maximum minimum annual flow each year in the period 1960-2015, provided spatially continuous gridded layers. mapped by means artificial neural networks (ANNs) regression. An ensemble ANNs were fitted on monthly observations...

Environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals requires the determination their environmental exposure concentrations. Existing modeling approaches are often computationally demanding, require extensive data collection and processing efforts, have a limited spatial resolution, undergone evaluation against monitoring data. Here, we present ePiE (exposure to Pharmaceuticals in Environment), spatially explicit model calculating concentrations active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) surface...

Climate change impacts on freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity show strong spatial variability, highlighting the importance of a global perspective. While previous studies mostly focused species richness, functional diversity, which is better predictor ecosystem functioning, has received much less attention. This study aims to comprehensively assess climate threats diversity fish across world, considering three complementary metrics-functional evenness divergence. We built existing...

There is growing evidence that climate change impacts ecosystems and socio-economic activities in freshwater environments. Consistent global data of projected streamflow water temperature are key to impact assessments, but such a dataset currently lacking. Here we present FutureStreams, the first future for multiple scenarios (up 2099) gridded at 5 arcminute spatial resolution (~10 km equator), including recent past (1976-2005) comparison. We generated using hydrological models (PCR-GLOBWB,...

Reduced river discharge and flow regulation are significant threats to freshwater biodiversity. An accurate representation of potential damage water consumption on biodiversity is required quantify compare the environmental impacts global value chains. The effect reduction fish species richness was previously modeled in life cycle impact assessment, but models were limited by restricted geographical scope underlying species-discharge relationships small number data. Here, we propose a model...

Water temperature is an abiotic master variable for the survival of aquatic organisms. Global warming alters thermal regimes rivers and, thus, poses a threat to freshwater biodiversity. To address impacts water changes related global on fish species in life cycle assessment (LCA), we developed spatially explicit characterization factors (CFs) 207 greenhouse gases under four representative concentration pathways. We calculated fate by using output hydrological model fully coupled with dynamic...

Balancing human communities' and ecosystems' need for freshwater is one of the major challenges 21

Despite relevant environmental, social, and financial risks, developing countries are increasingly pursuing hydropower development, including 300 new projects planned in Africa for a total of around 100 GW installed capacity. African rivers, however, among the most biodiverse ecosystems. Their unique biodiversity might be peril as generally designed according to techno-economic considerations, with limited consideration environmental aspects.In this work, we develop an integrated modeling...

Human activities increasingly threaten the highly biodiverse freshwater ecosystems. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a useful tool to quantify impacts of products and services on biodiversity. Current methodologies in LCA address impact climate change fish diversity by changes average river discharge only. Given ectothermic nature fish, previous studies have highlighted importance including water temperature as driver species loss. Moreover, extremes might be more important than conditions. In...

Hydropower can play an important role in decarbonizing energy systems, but opportunities for future low-impact hydropower are limited by existing dams, which driving declines freshwater fish worldwide. How to mitigate past development impacts while enabling expansion remains unclear. Here, we propose a strategic restoration-development paradigm break unfavorable lock-ins from development. For the Lower Mekong River, demonstrate how multi-objective optimization and habitat fragmentation...

The increasing application of synthetic fertilizer has tripled nitrogen (N) inputs over the 20th century. N enrichment decreases water quality and threatens aquatic species such as fish through eutrophication toxicity. However, impacts on freshwater ecosystems are typically neglected in life cycle assessment (LCA). Due to variety environmental conditions compositions, response emissions differs among ecoregions, requiring a regionalized effect assessment. Our study tackled this issue by...

The increase in food demand and limited opportunities to expand agricultural land pose a threat local global security. Producing urban areas such as green roofs can help satisfy thus alleviate pressure on land. However, modeling framework that simulates crop growth production potential at city scale is missing. Here, we adapt the Aquacrop model explore of various types crops apply it suitable roof Amsterdam. Our includes irrigation methods for water use are optimized according climate-driven...

Abstract Aim Discharge is a key determinant of biodiversity in rivers. Positive relationships between riverine and discharge, also called species–discharge (SDRs), have been widely documented. However, potential human influences on these are typically not considered. We aimed to fill this gap by exploring whether how the slopes intercepts global fish SDRs might be affected pressure environment. Location Global. Time period Current. Major taxa studied Riverine fishes. Methods first quantified...

Responses to climate change are rooted in thermal physiology, and many studies have focussed on heat tolerance plasticity of tolerance. Latitudinal patterns commonly considered reflect latitudinal differences regimes, but direct tests few. Here we show that the extremes fluctuations habitat temperature explain variation freshwater marine fishes. Furthermore, found fish exhibit greater than their counterparts. This reflects that, compared fishes, fishes exposed fluctuations. Our findings...