Biodiversity in Mediterranean-climate streams of California

摘要: Although the California mediterranean climate region is widely considered a biodiversity hotspot for terrestrial plants and vertebrates, freshwater in this generally not well known. Using information from museum specimen databases, published literature, biological assessment surveys, specialist’s knowledge, we review several groups of stream organisms med-climate California, which includes 2,220 species 292 families. The with highest diversity lotic are aquatic insects diatoms, comprise 39 36 % our lists, respectively. Sequential floods drying periods limit overall many rivers, continued land-use change may cause disproportionate declines region. However, only 4 have been evaluated IUCN Red List Threatened Species, assessments outdated. Future development online databases botanical zoological collections will significantly enhance distribution knowledge. This enable us to more accurately efficiently assess effects global on organisms, evaluate conservation status individual taxa, set priorities ecosystems.