Using biodiversity indicators to identify priority areas for freshwater conservation in the African “Mediterranean Basin” biodiversity hotspot

The conservation of freshwater biodiversity is a global challenge for conservation biologists. The loss of freshwater biodiversity in the Mediterranean basin is particularly concerning given its biodiversity hotspot status and that its landscapes have been subject to anthropogenic modification and pressures for millennia. Most research on this region has focused on the conservation of the European region of the hotspot while knowledge regarding the north African part of the basin is much more limited. Recent research on aquatic insects has indicated that considering the combined richness of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) at the genus level is an effective surrogate for wider freshwater biodiversity within Mediterranean areas. For the first time, we use Ephemeroptera and aquatic Coleoptera biodiversity (using richness, rarity complementarity and irreplaceability) to identify freshwater biodiversity conservation priority areas in the African sector of the Mediterranean Basin global biodiversity hotspot. In addition, we undertake a gap analysis to determine how effective protected areas are in conserving the areas identified. Freshwater biodiversity conservation priority areas were mainly located in mountainous areas in the north of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, close to the Mediterranean Sea. Surprisingly, almost 80 % of these areas are currently unprotected. These results indicate the urgent need for policies and international agreements to protected North African freshwater biodiversity.