Biodiversity is severely threatened both in Switzerland and worldwide, and numerous organisms are facing massive declines—particularly in freshwater ecosystems. All the species living in rivers—including fish, bacteria and many different aquatic invertebrates, such as mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies—are crucial for the functioning of these ecosystems. But many species are under threat due to habitat homogenization, pollution by pesticides and nutrients, and the spread of non-native species. In order to understand and protect riverine ecosystems, assessing their biodiversity is essential.
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Source: Phys.org