Study on River Ecosystems
Too Little Protection in the Protected Area
- 17.12.2025
Protected areas are meant to preserve endangered species and stabilize ecosystems. But for many European rivers, this protection apparently falls short. This is shown by a new study led by Prof. Dr. Peter Haase (Centre for Water and Environmental Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen and Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt) and Dr. James S. Sinclair (Senckenberg), which has now been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications. The international research team examined the condition of rivers at over 1,700 locations in ten European countries across a period of almost four decades. The result: Existing protected areas have only brought about measurable improvements in a limited subset of rivers, even over decades. To protect rivers sustainably, conservation should be performed more holistically by considering the needs of both terrestrial and aquatic species, the researchers conclude.
To the press release from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt.
Images: Europe’s rivers benefit only little from current protected areas – as seen here with the Vindel River in Sweden’s Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve. Small picture: The researchers examined how the diversity and composition of river organisms – such as the Beautiful Demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo) – have developed in protected and unprotected areas over recent decades.