A research project supported by FAPESP shows that the construction of new hydroelectric power plants in Brazil’s South region could have an impact on more than 30% of the habitat of Phrynops williamsi, the Williams’ side-necked turtle.
A research project supported by FAPESP shows that the construction of new hydroelectric power plants in Brazil’s South region could have an impact on more than 30% of the habitat of Phrynops williamsi, the Williams’ side-necked turtle. The species occurs only in areas of Atlantic Rainforest and Pampa (the grassland biome adjacent to Brazil’s border with Uruguay and Argentina), and is classed as “Vulnerable” (facing a high risk of extinction) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
An article on the study is published in the Journal of Applied Ecology by researchers at institutions in the Brazilian states of Goiás, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná.
“Our study is the first to investigate the impacts of hydropower developments on the species in an integrated manner. The results can help plan how to mitigate the impacts of hydroelectric expansion on these freshwater turtles. The same method can be used to study other species threatened by projects in the electricity sector,” André Luis Regolin, a professor and researcher at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), and first author of the article, told UFG’s press office.
Read more at: Fundacao De Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo
Reservoirs flood the animals’ habitats, eliminating the rapids on which they depend (Photo Credit: Raphael Zulianello)
