Fish and Fisheries of the Patagonian Steppe

BAIGÚN, C. R. M.; CASALINUOVO, M.; QUIROGA, P.; RIVA-ROSSI, C.; COLAUTTI, D. C.; SOLIMANO, P. J.; BOVCON, N.; MAIZTEGUI, T.; LLOMPART, F.

Freshwaters and Wetlands of Patagonia

Springer

Año: 2022; p. 351 - 407

The book is organized in two parts. Part I, Ecosystem Patterns and Processes, includes eight chapters and offers an up-to-date overview of the status of Patagonian glaciers, discusses the nature of freshwater and wetland ecosystems of this region, and depicts both local and large-scale biodiversity patterns and their potential use as sentinels of environmental changes at different scales. It also characterises the impact on the community structure of extreme events, such as volcanic eruptions, glacier lake outburst floods and mercury natural pollution, and of extreme environments like a hyperacidic river. Part II, Socioecological Aspects of Freshwater Ecosystems in Patagonia, comprises ten chapters. These deal with hydrologic systems and wetlands, and the pressure on these water resources resulting from changes in land use within a climate change context, with a focus on emerging conflicts around freshwater availability. The effects of fisheries and fish species introduction are also discussed, as well as different examples of conservation policies, from dealing with an invasive diatom to salvaging populations of endangered endemicamphibians and waterbirds depending on such ecosystems and presently endangered by human activities. Some sociological and governance aspects show different cultural valuations of water, from ancestral Mapuche rural communities to modern legislation balancing social, environmental and economic interests around it. Finally, the obstacles for meeting the water-dependent Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are discussed, while actions towards the adoption of integrative water management measures areenvisaged.