Large‐bodied predators are well represented among the world's threatened and endangered species. A significant body of literature shows that in terrestrial and marine ecosystems large predators can play important roles in ecosystem structure and functioning. By contrast, the ecological roles and importance of large predators within freshwater ecosystems are poorly understood, constraining the design and implementation of optimal conservation strategies for freshwater ecosystems. Conservationists and environmentalists frequently promulgate ecological roles that crocodylians are assumed to fulfil, but often with limited evidence supporting those claims.

中文翻译：

---

鳄鱼的生态重要性：对其保护的循证理由

大型食肉动物在世界受威胁和濒临灭绝的物种中占很大比例。大量文献表明，在陆地和海洋生态系统中，大型捕食者可以在生态系统结构和功能中发挥重要作用。相比之下，大型捕食者在淡水生态系统中的生态作用和重要性知之甚少，限制了淡水生态系统最佳保护策略的设计和实施。保护主义者和环保主义者经常宣扬鳄鱼被假定履行的生态作用，但通常支持这些主张的证据有限。