The signature of the Anthropocene is the human-induced transfiguration of ecological systems, resulting in biodiversity loss and several deleterious impacts on ecosystems. Globally, as knowledge of the extent and intensity of biodiversity loss has increased, so too has the recognition of the multiple supports biodiversity offers to humans, either: directly, by improving ecological system roles and services, or indirectly, by enhancing the resilient capacities of such roles amidst environmental disturbances. Freshwater ecosystems are fundamental in attaining sustainable developments and providing the ultimate services required for man’s well-being. While efforts to avert the human water security threats abound, through water technology and related approaches, these options are able to manage human water requirement demands but do not provide solutions to the overwhelming human-induced freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem function threats. Rather, they sometimes heighten the risks to freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem functions with implications on freshwater science efforts.
The majority of freshwater biodiversity loss occurs in the Neotropics, Indo-Pacific, and Afrotropics. Freshwater science is less attended to than its terrestrial and marine matches, especially in tropical areas. This paucity of attention is shocking given the necessity to preserve the freshwater ecosystem in this Anthropocene. The ultimate goal of this Research Topic is to provide a critical overview of the current state of, the gaps in our understanding of, the challenges of, and principal developments in, Freshwater Science in the Tropical Anthropocene. The collection of articles in this Research Topic will engineer rapid administration of efficient and innovatory monitoring approaches as well as provide strategies towards protecting and conserving the freshwater ecosystem in the Tropics. Our collection plans to assemble views and practices as well as case studies that connect observed surveys with a Tropical observational grid to enhance freshwater studies in the Tropics. We will also welcome studies on ecological modeling from long-term datasets that will elicit futuristic ecological projections in relation to climate change. Studies that integrate both observational and empirical datasets based on innovative approaches are invited. We will very much welcome studies that integrate participatory and socio-ecological techniques.
Our scope of research interest includes, but is not limited, to the following:
• Freshwater protection and restoration techniques and policies
• Long-term research and datasets for futuristic assessments and modeling
• Novel Indicators and models for ecosystem change
• Adequate administration in data curation and processes
• Participatory, governance, policy, and socio-ecological approaches in freshwater monitoring transdisciplinary approaches in freshwater monitoring
• Stakeholder and citizen science focus
• Developments and implementation of river indices and rapid biomonitoring protocols
• Multinational datasets, results, and networks
• Tropical Freshwater ecological monitoring plans, linkages, and grids/networks
• Indigenous ecological information curation and assessment
This Research Topic was coordinated by Dr. Unique Ndubuisi Keke, Federal University of Technology.
The signature of the Anthropocene is the human-induced transfiguration of ecological systems, resulting in biodiversity loss and several deleterious impacts on ecosystems. Globally, as knowledge of the extent and intensity of biodiversity loss has increased, so too has the recognition of the multiple supports biodiversity offers to humans, either: directly, by improving ecological system roles and services, or indirectly, by enhancing the resilient capacities of such roles amidst environmental disturbances. Freshwater ecosystems are fundamental in attaining sustainable developments and providing the ultimate services required for man’s well-being. While efforts to avert the human water security threats abound, through water technology and related approaches, these options are able to manage human water requirement demands but do not provide solutions to the overwhelming human-induced freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem function threats. Rather, they sometimes heighten the risks to freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem functions with implications on freshwater science efforts.
The majority of freshwater biodiversity loss occurs in the Neotropics, Indo-Pacific, and Afrotropics. Freshwater science is less attended to than its terrestrial and marine matches, especially in tropical areas. This paucity of attention is shocking given the necessity to preserve the freshwater ecosystem in this Anthropocene. The ultimate goal of this Research Topic is to provide a critical overview of the current state of, the gaps in our understanding of, the challenges of, and principal developments in, Freshwater Science in the Tropical Anthropocene. The collection of articles in this Research Topic will engineer rapid administration of efficient and innovatory monitoring approaches as well as provide strategies towards protecting and conserving the freshwater ecosystem in the Tropics. Our collection plans to assemble views and practices as well as case studies that connect observed surveys with a Tropical observational grid to enhance freshwater studies in the Tropics. We will also welcome studies on ecological modeling from long-term datasets that will elicit futuristic ecological projections in relation to climate change. Studies that integrate both observational and empirical datasets based on innovative approaches are invited. We will very much welcome studies that integrate participatory and socio-ecological techniques.
Our scope of research interest includes, but is not limited, to the following:
• Freshwater protection and restoration techniques and policies
• Long-term research and datasets for futuristic assessments and modeling
• Novel Indicators and models for ecosystem change
• Adequate administration in data curation and processes
• Participatory, governance, policy, and socio-ecological approaches in freshwater monitoring transdisciplinary approaches in freshwater monitoring
• Stakeholder and citizen science focus
• Developments and implementation of river indices and rapid biomonitoring protocols
• Multinational datasets, results, and networks
• Tropical Freshwater ecological monitoring plans, linkages, and grids/networks
• Indigenous ecological information curation and assessment
This Research Topic was coordinated by Dr. Unique Ndubuisi Keke, Federal University of Technology.
