The freshwaters bivalves of La Plata Basin in the Anthropocene

Abstract

La Plata Basin, the fifth-largest basin in the world, includes areas of Argentina, Bolivia, Bra- zil, Paraguay, and Uruguay and is subjected to inten- sive human activities such as agriculture, mining, and global trade. The basin hosts 83 native bivalves (Hyriidae, Mycetopodidae, Cyrenoididae, and Spha- eriidae), including 29 endemic and at least 3 non- native species (Cyrenidae and Mytilidae). For their role as filter feeders and their dominance in biomass in benthic freshwater ecosystems, freshwater bivalves play a key role in the resilience of aquatic ecosystems. In this review, we discuss the six major global change threats to freshwater ecosystems in the Anthropocene (climate change, flow regulation, pollution, land-use change, invasive species, and overexploitation) using freshwater bivalves of La Plata Basin as a model in South America. Future directions to properly under- stand the effects of global change and suggestions for the conservation of the freshwater bivalves in the basin are stated.