Multiple stressors in freshwater ecosystems

摘要: Summary 1. The fundamental importance of freshwater resources, the rapid extinction rate among species and pronounced sensitivity ecosystems to climate change together signal a pre-eminent need for renewed scientific focus greater resources. Against this background, Freshwater Biological Association in 2008 launched new series ‘summit’ Conferences Aquatic Biology intended develop showcase application ecological science major issues management. 2. This collection studies arose from first summit entitled ‘Multiple Stressors Ecosystems’. Although management are replete with mutiple-stressor problems, few have been designed explicitly untangle their effects. 3. individual case that follow reveal wide array freshwaters affected by multiple stressors, spatial temporal scales involved, ecosystem processes affected, complex interactions between ecology socioeconomics engender such effects, approaches advocated address problems challenges restoring systems. also illustrate extent which emerging (e.g. through change), but they vision how might be managed sustainably offset stressors future. 4. More generically, these (i) at particular risk multiple-stressor effects because conflicts water use, hydrological cycle vectors stressor so effectively extensively; (ii) dramatic, nonlinear, ‘ecological surprises’ sometimes emerge as (iii) good ecologists add considerable value other disciplines understanding managing effects.