Freshwater salinisation: a research agenda for a saltier world

Cunillera Montcusí, David and Beklioğlu, Meryem and Cañedo-Argüelles, Miguel and Jeppesen, Erik and Ptacnik, Robert and Horváth, Zsófia and Amorim, Cihelio A. and Arnott, Shelley E. and Berger, Stella A. and Brucet, Sandra and Dugan, Hilary A. and Gerhard, Miriam and Horváth, Zsófia and Langenheder, Silke and Nejstgaard, Jens C. and Reinikainen, Marko and Striebel, Maren and Urrutia-Cordero, Pablo and Vad, Csaba Ferenc and Zadereev, Egor and Matias, Miguel (2022) Freshwater salinisation: a research agenda for a saltier world. TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION, 37 (5). pp. 440-453. ISSN 0169-5347

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Abstract

The widespread salinisation of freshwater ecosystems poses a major threat to the biodiversity, functioning, and services that they provide. Human activities promote freshwater salinisation through multiple drivers (e.g., agriculture, re- source extraction, urbanisation) that are amplified by climate change. Due to its complexity, we are still far from fully understanding the ecological and evolu- tionary consequences of freshwater salinisation. Here, we assess current re- search gaps and present a research agenda to guide future studies. We identified different gaps in taxonomic groups, levels of biological organisation, and geographic regions. We suggest focusing on global- and landscape-scale processes, functional approaches, genetic and molecular levels, and eco- evolutionary dynamics as key future avenues to predict the consequences of freshwater salinisation for ecosystems and human societies.

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