Winners and losers: Post conflict biodiversity in the stressed ecosystem of Khor al-Zubair, Iraq

A rapid assessment of biodiversity in the immediate wake of civil conflict and other ‎disasters is critical to inform recovery efforts. We report on the first surveys of aquatic ‎biodiversity in Khor Al-Zubair (KAZ) in southern Iraq, following the cessation of recent ‎violence in the region. This site is in the midst of ongoing environmental changes due to ‎climate change and reductions in water flow from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which ‎have led to increases in salinity in the KAZ. Monthly surveys of biodiversity were ‎conducted in 2017-2018 and compared to historical data from the site obtained from a ‎literature survey. Results indicate a loss of 80% of species richness, suggesting a ‎fundamental and potential catastrophic decline in species diversity resulting from largely ‎anthropogenic drivers.‎

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Ali‎, Malik Hassan, Fawzi‎, Nadia Al-Mudaffar, Mohammed‎, Hanaa Hussein, Helmuth, Brian, Dwyer, Amanda M.
Format:	Journal Contribution biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	2021-12-31
Subjects:	biodiversity; Iraq; mudflat; warfare ecology, Biodiversity, ASFA_2015::M::Mud flats, ASFA_2015::B::Biodiversity, ASFA_2015::B::Brackishwater ecology,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/1834/42004
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