IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), Mollusc Specialist Group

This report presents the results of a broad assessment of freshwater diversity in the Douro river basin in Spain and Portugal. The Douro river basin is the largest of the Iberian Peninsula, and an ecological region of great value due to the high diversity of ecosystems and the number of species. A total of 14 sites, either identified as Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) or potential KBA sites, were surveyed for fish and macroinvertebrate species.

The Western Ghats is one of the world’s most heavily populated biodiversity hotspots providing for and supporting 400 million people through water for drinking, transport, irrigation, and hydroelectric power, together with food and resources to sustain livelihoods.

More than 1,000 species of molluscs are threatened by habitat destruction, over-collection, or predation by alien species. The nine papers and five abstracts in this volume summarise the current status of molluscan diversity.