| Title | Groundwater is a hidden global keystone ecosystem |
| Abstract | Groundwater is a vital ecosystem of the global water cycle, hosting unique biodiversity and providing essential services to societies. Despite being the largest unfrozen freshwater resource, in a period of depletion by extraction and pollution, groundwater environments have been repeatedly overlooked in global biodiversity conservation agendas. Disregarding the importance of groundwater as an ecosystem ignores its critical role in preserving surface biomes. To foster timely global conservation of groundwater, we propose elevating the concept of keystone species into the realm of ecosystems, claiming groundwater as a keystone ecosystem that influences the integrity of many dependent ecosystems. Our global analysis shows that over half of land surface areas (52.6%) has a medium-to-high interaction with groundwater, reaching up to 74.9% when deserts and high mountains are excluded. We postulate that the intrinsic transboundary features of groundwater are critical for shifting perspectives towards more holistic approaches in aquatic ecology and beyond. Furthermore, we propose eight key themes to develop a science-policy integrated groundwater conservation agenda. Given ecosystems above and below the ground intersect at many levels, considering groundwater as an essential component of planetary health is pivotal to reduce biodiversity loss and buffer against climate change. |
| Source | Global change biology (Print) 30 (1) |
| Keywords | biodiversitybiomesclimate changeconservationecologyecosystemsgroundwater-dependent ecosystemsubterraneanwater cycle |
| Journal | Global change biology (Print) |
| Editor | Blackwell Science., Oxford, Regno Unito |
| Year | 2024 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1111/gcb.17066 |
| Authors | Saccò, Mattia; Mammola, Stefano; Altermatt, Florian; Alther, Roman; Bolpagni, Rossano; Brancelj, Anton; Brankovits, David; Fi?er, Cene; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; Griebler, Christian; Guareschi, Simone; Hose, Grant C.; Korbel, Kathryn; Lictevout, Elisabeth; Malard, Florian; Martínez, Alejandro; Niemiller, Matthew L.; Robertson, Anne; Tanalgo, Krizler C.; Bichuette, Maria Elina; Borko, ?pela; Brad, Traian; Campbell, Matthew A.; Cardoso, Pedro; Celico, Fulvio; Cooper, Steven J.B.; Culver, David; Di Lorenzo, Tiziana; Galassi, Diana M.P.; Guzik, Michelle T.; Hartland, Adam; Humphreys, William F.; Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes; Lunghi, Enrico; Nizzoli, Daniele; Perina, Giulia; Raghavan, Rajeev; Richards, Zoe; Reboleira, Ana Sofia P.S.; Rohde, Melissa M.; Fernández, David Sánchez; Schmidt, Susanne I.; van der Heyde, Mieke; Weaver, Louise; White, Nicole E.; Zagmajster, Maja; Hogg, Ian; Ruhi, Albert; Gagnon, Marthe M.; Allentoft, Morten E.; Reinecke, Robert |
| Text | 490130 2024 10.1111/gcb.17066 Scopus 2 s2.0 85179317094 biodiversity biomes climate change conservation ecology ecosystems groundwater dependent ecosystem subterranean water cycle Groundwater is a hidden global keystone ecosystem Sacco, Mattia; Mammola, Stefano; Altermatt, Florian; Alther, Roman; Bolpagni, Rossano; Brancelj, Anton; Brankovits, David; Fi er, Cene; Gerovasileiou, Vasilis; Griebler, Christian; Guareschi, Simone; Hose, Grant C.; Korbel, Kathryn; Lictevout, Elisabeth; Malard, Florian; Martinez, Alejandro; Niemiller, Matthew L.; Robertson, Anne; Tanalgo, Krizler C.; Bichuette, Maria Elina; Borko, pela; Brad, Traian; Campbell, Matthew A.; Cardoso, Pedro; Celico, Fulvio; Cooper, Steven J.B.; Culver, David; Di Lorenzo, Tiziana; Galassi, Diana M.P.; Guzik, Michelle T.; Hartland, Adam; Humphreys, William F.; Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes; Lunghi, Enrico; Nizzoli, Daniele; Perina, Giulia; Raghavan, Rajeev; Richards, Zoe; Reboleira, Ana Sofia P.S.; Rohde, Melissa M.; Fernandez, David Sanchez; Schmidt, Susanne I.; van der Heyde, Mieke; Weaver, Louise; White, Nicole E.; Zagmajster, Maja; Hogg, Ian; Ruhi, Albert; Gagnon, Marthe M.; Allentoft, Morten E.; Reinecke, Robert Laboratoire d Ecologie des Hydrosystemes Naturels et Anthropises LEHNA ; Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management; Lincoln Agritech Ltd; Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies; Institute of Speleology Emil Racovita; University of Southern Mindanao; The University of Western Australia; Curtin University; Johannes Gutenberg Universitat Mainz; Univerza v Ljubljani; Københavns Universitet; SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry; University of Roehampton; Universitat Wien; University of Nova Gorica; South Australian Museum; Luonnontieteellinen Keskusmuseo; Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; The University of Alabama in Huntsville; American University; Macquarie University; Universita degli Studi dell Aquila; Helmholtz Zentrum fur Umweltforschung; Universidade Federal de Lavras; Western Australian Museum; Ionian University; Universidade Federal de São Carlos; Universitat Zurich; Universita degli Studi di Torino; The University of Adelaide; CSIC Estacion Biologica de Doñana; ESR Christchurch Science Centre; Universita di Parma; The University of Waikato; Hellenic Centre for Marine Research; Faculdade de Ciencias, Universidade de Lisboa; Eawag Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; National Institute of Biology Ljubljana; Universidad de Murcia; National Biodiversity Future Center; Polar Knowledge Canada; International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre IGRAC ; LLC Groundwater is a vital ecosystem of the global water cycle, hosting unique biodiversity and providing essential services to societies. Despite being the largest unfrozen freshwater resource, in a period of depletion by extraction and pollution, groundwater environments have been repeatedly overlooked in global biodiversity conservation agendas. Disregarding the importance of groundwater as an ecosystem ignores its critical role in preserving surface biomes. To foster timely global conservation of groundwater, we propose elevating the concept of keystone species into the realm of ecosystems, claiming groundwater as a keystone ecosystem that influences the integrity of many dependent ecosystems. Our global analysis shows that over half of land surface areas 52.6% has a medium to high interaction with groundwater, reaching up to 74.9% when deserts and high mountains are excluded. We postulate that the intrinsic transboundary features of groundwater are critical for shifting perspectives towards more holistic approaches in aquatic ecology and beyond. Furthermore, we propose eight key themes to develop a science policy integrated groundwater conservation agenda. Given ecosystems above and below the ground intersect at many levels, considering groundwater as an essential component of planetary health is pivotal to reduce biodiversity loss and buffer against climate change. 30 Published version http //www.scopus.com/record/display.url eid=2 s2.0 85179317094 origin=inward Published version 2024_SACCO ET AL GCB.pdf Articolo in rivista Blackwell Science. 1354 1013 Global change biology Print Global change biology Print Glob. chang. biol. Print BRANKOVITS DAVID tiziana.dilorenzo DI LORENZO TIZIANA stefano.mammola MAMMOLA STEFANO alejandro.martinezgarcia MARTINEZ GARCIA ALEJANDRO |
