Open AccessNational parks as protected areas for U.S. freshwater fish diversity
Author(s) -
Lawrence David J.,
Larson Eric R.,
Liermann Cathy A. Reidy,
Mims Meryl C.,
Pool Thomas K.,
Olden Julian D.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
conservation letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.153
H-Index - 79
ISSN - 1755-263X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-263x.2011.00185.x
Subject(s) - national park , stewardship (theology) , watershed , geography , freshwater fish , impervious surface , biodiversity , environmental resource management , diversity (politics) , fish <actinopterygii> , protected area , ecology , fishery , environmental planning , environmental science , biology , political science , archaeology , machine learning , politics , computer science , law
We assessed the representation of freshwater fish diversity provided by the National Park Service (NPS) and the potential for parks to serve as freshwater protected areas (FPAs) in the United States. Although most parks were not designed with freshwater conservation in mind, nearly two‐thirds (62%) of native U.S. fishes reside in national parks. However, only 18% of the nation's highly imperiled fish species are represented within the NPS. The ability for parks to serve as protected areas depends on activities upstream from their boundaries and we found that a substantial part of these watersheds has some form of conservation status. Using a conservation planning approach that integrates fish diversity representation provided by parks and their current and future ecological threats (i.e., climate change, dams, watershed impervious surface, invasive species) and management challenges (i.e., land stewardship beyond park boundaries), we identify 50 parks that could serve as core members of a nationally comprehensive FPA system. While the NPS has limitations as the potential basis for an FPA network, it provides considerable representation of freshwater fish diversity that should be taken into account during systematic conservation planning for freshwaters.