How Well Do Protected Areas Safeguard Endangered White-Clawed Crayfish in Croatia?

Abstract

Croatian freshwaters are inhabited by four native European crayfish species. One of them is the white-clawed crayfish which is distributed in the waterbodies draining to the Adriatic Sea. This species is endangered by anthropogenic pressures on its habitats, climate change and the introduction and spread of non-native invasive crayfish species and their pathogens, with several documented declines occurring in a number of populations. Consequently, it is declared endangered and protected by international and national legislation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the pan-European Natura 2000 network and national protected areas in conserving the white-clawed crayfish diversity in Croatia through a GIS-based approach that overlays a map of protected areas with species distribution data, also known as a gap analysis. The analysis revealed that 66% of the white-clawed crayfish populations are covered by protected areas (including Natura 2000 sites). Results of this study are useful for the evaluation of protected areas in the conservation of this key freshwater species, and for direct future management plans.