Exploring the Geodiversity—Biodiversity Relationships in Freshwaters for Environmental Conservation: A Global Systematic Literature Review

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Abstract
Geodiversity refers to the heterogeneity of abiotic characteristics in nature, and in freshwater ecosystems, it mostly mirrors the diversity of hydro‐geomorphological features in inland waters. Although several scholars have highlighted that geodiversity contributes to habitat formation and influences biodiversity and ecological processes, it remains largely overlooked in biological freshwater conservation research. The present study constitutes a systematic review of scientific publications examining geodiversity–biodiversity relationships in freshwaters using a bibliometric analysis. Database queries retrieved 178 publications, 111 of which were initially identified as relevant to the research objectives. The analysis revealed a noticeable increase in publications after 2016, with numerous articles focusing on large‐scale geographic units, such as geoparks, aiming to quantify geodiversity for geotourism promotion and geoconservation. However, only 24 ecological articles have explored geodiversity–biodiversity linkages, particularly for organisms like macrophytes and benthic macroinvertebrates. Most studies reported a positive relationship between geodiversity and biodiversity. Geodiversity was categorised into four abiotic dimensions (geology, paedology, geomorphology and hydrology), whereas biodiversity was quantified across diverse ecological levels and facets. We identified six key ecological mechanisms that drive the geodiversity–biodiversity relationships, including habitat heterogeneity, habitat creation, hydrochemical conditions, environmental filtering, connectivity/dispersal and ecosystem resilience, with anthropogenic influence acting as a modifying factor. Overall, our findings emphasise the importance of further research to incorporate geodiversity into aquatic biodiversity assessment and management, supporting a holistic strategy for the joint conservation of geological and biological entities of nature.

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