Impacts of Dams on Freshwater Turtles: A Global Review to Identify Conservation Solutions
Publication Date
2022Journal Title
Tropical Conservation Science
ISSN
1940-0829
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Volume
15
Language
en
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Bárcenas-García, A., Michalski, F., Morgan, W., Smith, R., Sutherland, W., Gibbs, J., & Norris, D. (2022). Impacts of Dams on Freshwater Turtles: A Global Review to Identify Conservation Solutions. Tropical Conservation Science, 15 https://doi.org/10.1177/19400829221103709
Description
Funder: Arcadia Fund; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/100012088
Funder: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100002322
Funder: The David and Claudia Harding Foundation
Funder: MAVA Foundation; FundRef: https://doi.org/10.13039/100013324
Abstract
<jats:sec><jats:title>Background and Research Aims</jats:title><jats:p> Dams impact freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity. Freshwater turtles are at direct and indirect risk due to changes caused by damming including the loss of terrestrial and aquatic nesting habitats, changes to food availability, and blocking movement. Effective management of these impacts requires robust evidence in order to gain an understanding of conservation solutions that work. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p> We reviewed the global scientific literature that evaluated the impact of dams on freshwater turtles, and carried out additional searches of literature published in seventeen languages for studies evaluating actions to mitigate dam impacts. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p> The search produced 47 published articles documenting dam impacts on 30 freshwater turtle species from seven families (Chelidae, Chelydridae, Emydidae, Geoemydidae, Kinosternidae, Podocnemididae, and Trionychidae) in 13 countries. Few studies were found from Europe and Asia and none from Africa. Most studies were from temperate latitudes, where studies focused more on adults and less threatened species compared with tropical latitudes. More than half of the studies (57%, n = 27) suggested actions to help mitigate dam impacts. Yet, only five studies (three temperate and two tropical) documented the effect of interventions (dam removal, flow management, artificial pond maintenance and community-based action). </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title><jats:p> These findings demonstrate a serious lack of documented evidence evaluating mitigation actions for dam impacts on freshwater turtles. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Implications for Conservation</jats:title><jats:p> This lack of evidence reinforces the importance of strengthening and maintaining robust long-term studies needed to develop effective and adaptive conservation actions for this group of threatened vertebrates particularly in tropical regions. </jats:p></jats:sec>
Keywords
conservation evidence, dams, hydropower development, mitigation actions, turtles, testudines, reptile, vertebrate, habitat transformation, aquatic conservation, conservation solutions
Identifiers
10.1177_19400829221103709
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/19400829221103709
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/337466
Rights
Licence:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
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