Invertebrates, Freshwater, Overview

Although inland waters make up only about 1% of the earth's surface, these fresh waters contain about 10% of all animal species, the majority of which are invertebrates. Inhabiting ground, surface, and running waters, diverse assemblages of freshwater invertebrates play key roles in ecological processes that ensure that our water is clean and that organic matter in a lake, stream, or wetland is not lost or accumulated in excess. Unfortunately, freshwater invertebrates and the ecosystems they live in are under severe threat from habitat degradation and loss, pollution and reduced water quality, altered hydrologic regimes, and invasion by exotic species.