Norris Darren, Michalski Fernanda, Gibbs James P
School of Environmental Sciences, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil.
Ecology and Conservation of Amazonian Vertebrates Research Group, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, Amapá, Brazil.
PeerJ. 2018 Jan 8;6:e4228. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4228. eCollection 2018.
The global expansion of energy demands combined with abundant rainfall, large water volumes and high flow in tropical rivers have led to an unprecedented expansion of dam constructions in the Amazon. This expansion generates an urgent need for refined approaches to river management; specifically a move away from decision-making governed by overly generalized guidelines. For the first time we quantify direct impacts of hydropower reservoir establishment on an Amazon fresh water turtle. We conducted surveys along 150 km of rivers upstream of a new dam construction during the low water months that correspond to the nesting season of in the study area. Comparison of nest-areas before (2011, 2015) and after (2016) reservoir filling show that reservoir impacts extend 13% beyond legally defined limits. The submerged nesting areas accounted for a total of 3.8 ha of nesting habitat that was inundated as a direct result of the reservoir filling in 2016. Our findings highlight limitations in the development and implementation of existing Brazilian environmental impact assessment process. We also propose potential ways to mitigate the negative impacts of dams on freshwater turtles and the Amazonian freshwater ecosystems they inhabit.
全球能源需求的扩张，再加上热带河流充沛的降雨、大量的水量和高流量，导致亚马逊地区的大坝建设出现了前所未有的扩张。这种扩张迫切需要改进河流管理方法；具体而言，要摆脱由过于笼统的指导方针主导的决策方式。我们首次量化了水电水库建设对亚马逊淡水龟的直接影响。在与研究区域内该龟类筑巢季节相对应的低水位月份，我们沿着一座新建大坝上游150公里的河流进行了调查。对水库蓄水前（2011年、2015年）和蓄水后（2016年）筑巢区域的比较表明，水库的影响范围超出法定界限13%。2016年水库蓄水直接淹没的筑巢区域共计3.8公顷。我们的研究结果凸显了巴西现有环境影响评估流程在制定和实施方面的局限性。我们还提出了减轻大坝对淡水龟及其栖息的亚马逊淡水生态系统负面影响的潜在方法。
