Local extinctions and range contraction of the endangered Coenagrion mercuriale in North Africa

Sónia Ferreiraa,b,c , Fernando Martínez-Freiríaa, Jean-Pierre Boudotd, Mohamed El Haissoufie, Nard Bennase, Paulo Célio Alvesa,b,f, Phillip C. Wattsc,g, David J. Thompsonc, José Carlos Britoa,b

  1. CIBIO/InBio – Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
  2. Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
  3. Institute of Integrative Biology, Liverpool, UK
  4. Immeuble Orphée, Ludres, France
  5. Laboratoire Ecologie, Biodiversité et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Tétouan, Université Abdelmalek Essaâdi, Tétouan, Morocco
  6. Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, USA
  7. Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

International Journal of Odonatology, Volume 18, Issue 2, Pages 137-152, 2015
https://doi.org/10.1080/13887890.2015.1017846
Published: 3 April 2015 (Received: 5 January 2015, Accepted: 4 February 2015)

Abstract

Freshwater biodiversity is currently threatened worldwide. In North Africa, 24.4% of Odonata are regionally threatened with extinction. In this region, freshwater resources are particularly scarce and an increasing shortage of water is expected. To better understand the current threats to the endangered North African damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale we updated information on extinct and extant populations in North Africa and characterized these localities with regard to their topography, climate and anthropogenic use (anthrome). The C. mercuriale populations are being lost and this damselfly is experiencing range contraction. In Morocco nearly 45% of the populations have become extinct in recent decades and in Tunisia a single extant population remains. This species, which occupied predominantly areas of high value for human settlement, is now mainly restricted to high altitude areas. Nevertheless, the extant populations remain under threat of extinction due to increasing demand for water, changes in agricultural practices and land conversion.

Keywords: anthromes, climate, conservation, Coenagrionidae, dragonfly, freshwater biodiversity, Morocco, Odonata, Tunisia, water demand

Issue section: Article