Diversity and distribution of diapausing aquatic invertebrates in inland wetlands: An ecosystem conservation viewpoint

SummaryInland wetlands are worldwide distributed and have been heavily impacted in recent decades by human activities such as commerce, recreation, and food sources. The direct consequences of these activities on aquatic systems are changes in hydrology and salinity alterations, and the introduction of exotic species. Recent large-scale ecological and genetic studies across several countries and continents indicate that population structure, regional endemism, and geographic speciation patterns are common in passively dispersed aquatic invertebrates contradicting previous predictions of homogeneous genetic distribution. This essay discusses the main processes that shape these patterns and determine the biodiversity and geographic distribution of diapausing aquatic invertebrates in inland wetlands. Large-scale geographical studies to describe general patterns and to understand genetic and ecological processes determining the biogeography of cosmopolitan species are needed. Further knowledge of these issues should provide invaluable information allowing development of appropriate conservation management policies for inland waters across entire ecosystems, landscapes, and geographic regions.