Stepping Stone Wetlands, Last Sanctuaries for European Mudminnow: How Can the Human Impact, Climate Change, and Non-Native Species Drive a Fish to the Edge of Extinction?

Throughout their history humans “tamed” not only the Danube River basin land, but also river and its associated wetlands, drastically influencing characteristic habitats, associations, communities, species. One of these flagship endemic fish species in this respect is European mudminnow (Umbra krameri Walbaum, 1792), influenced by Basin geography, history, politics, ecology. A study about community concern context long term human impact on specific with potential synergic negative effects climate change, was treated as highly needed, an international researchers group initiative to support efforts provide hope for preserving ecosystems, brought it back from brink extinction. All inventoried wetlands which were or some them still are natural, semi-natural, accidental anthropogenic reveal accentuated diminishing trend areal continuity; fragmentation being force skewed untill now, inducing habitats quantitative qualitative characteristics where fight survival. The main categories activities impacted changes species’ are: water regulation, pollution, dredging, draining, introduction non-native Overall, diverse a Umbra creates serious perspectives negatively at very high scale level. survive can be considered ecologically managed refuge stepping stone especially increasing change situation. Supplementary inventory studies field should done identification may unknown populations.