Distribution and habitat use intensity of the Neotropical Otter (Lontra longicaudis) in a Colombian hydroelectric dam

Introduction: The Neotropical Otter, Lontra longicaudis, is a semi-aquatic mammal that ranges from Mexico to Argentina inhabiting near-pristine watercourses, but also human-dominated aquatic and riparian landscapes. Objective: We assessed the distribution and habitat use frequency of L. longicaudis in La Miel I hydroelectric power dam and its influence area in the Department of Caldas, Colombia. Methods: We carried out diurnal surveys across standardized transects between 2014 and 2018 looking for records (sightings, faeces, tracks, and dens) that indicate the presence of the species. Each yearly survey was done during 12 consecutive days over three seasonal sampling periods assessing the upstream, reservoir, and downstream waterscape areas. Results: We sampled a total of 875 km in a five-year period across the three main waterscape areas (upstream -103 km, reservoir -582 km, and downstream -190 km) registering a total of 1 496 records. Faeces were the most common record (~ 95 %) across the whole study area followed by sightings, dens (1.7 % each), and tracks (1.3 %). Spatial distribution analyses suggest that L. longicaudis prefers dwelling upstream watercourses (hot spots areas; Gi Z-score = 4.46, p < 0.001) and in a lesser extent, areas around the water reservoir (cold spot areas; Gi Z-score = -2.69, p = 0.007). Signs of otters were also recorded at downstream area, but these records were non-significant within the analysis (Gi Z-score = -0.11, p = 0.48), suggesting L. longicaudis uses this area opportunistically. Cluster and outlier analysis showed that even though L. longicaudis was commonly found upstream and in the reservoir area, only some specific sectors (Moro, La Miel and Tasajos rivers) had high (LMI Z-score = 5.63, p = 0.001) and low (LMI Z-score = 2.12, p = 0.001) clusters. Conclusions: The upstream waterscape area is key for the survival of L. longicaudis in this regulated system, likely providing enough shelter and food for the species to carry out living activities and have resident populations. In contrast, downstream areas require specific attention to understand in a better way the effects of caused by the dam on the species dynamics, also defining management strategies that avoid population fragmentation and movement reduction.

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New records and update on the geographic distribution of the Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818) in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

Check List ◽

10.15560/16.1.83 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 83-87

Author(s):

Izabela Costa Laurentino ◽

Rafael Turíbio Moraes de Sousa ◽

Gilberto Corso

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

Geographic Distribution ◽

New Records ◽

Rio Grande ◽

The State ◽

Aquatic Mammal ◽

Wide Geographic Distribution ◽

Lontra Longicaudis

Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818), Neotropical Otter, is a medium-sized, carnivorous, semi-aquatic mammal with a wide geographic distribution from Mexico to Uruguay. Although the number of studies on this species has been increasing, the vast majority of them focus on diet and habitat use. This paper updates the distribution of this species by providing new records from 19 municipalities (13 in the Atlantic Forest) in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. These new records are important for the conservation of L. longicaudis.

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Trophic ecology of Lontra longicaudis (Carnivora, Mustelidae) in lotic and semilotic environments in southeastern Brazil

Iheringia Série Zoologia ◽

10.1590/s0073-47212012005000004 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 102 (3) ◽

pp. 261-268 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lívia B. Santos ◽

Nelio R. dos Reis ◽

Mário L. Orsi

Keyword(s):

Fish Species ◽

Food Habits ◽

Trophic Ecology ◽

Hydroelectric Power Plant ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Aquatic Animal ◽

Hydroelectric Power ◽

Exotic Fish ◽

Lotic Environment ◽

Lontra Longicaudis

Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818) (Carnivora, Mustelidae) is a semi-aquatic animal spread through the Central and South America, except in Chile. The implantation of a hydroelectric power plant along a river alters the dynamics of the watercourse, transforming a lotic environment into a lentic or semilotic one, what can damage the otter's feeding. From April 2008 to March 2009 we analysed the otter's food habits in lotic (streamlet) and semilotic (hydroelectric reservoir) environments of Paranapanema Valley, in southeastern Brazil. Aiming to compare the otter's diet of these two environments, we analyzed statistically the frequency of occurrence of main items in the scats. Fishes represent the base of the diet both in the reservoir and in the streamlet and, despite of the total otter's diet showing up similarities in the two environments, the results evidenced modifications on the fish species consumed between them. In the reservoir the otters ate more exotic fish Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) probably because it is an easy capture prey in this place. The fact that the otters get established and feed in the reservoir doesn't mean that this structure is benefic to the species because the food supplied for it consists mainly of exotic fish species.

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Toxic cyanobacterial blooms in a drinking water reservoir - causes, consequences and management strategy

Water Science & Technology Water Supply ◽

10.2166/ws.2001.0043 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 237-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

M. Tarczyńska ◽

Z. Romanowska-Duda ◽

T. Jurczak ◽

M. Zalewski

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Cyanobacterial Bloom ◽

Water Reservoir ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Cyanobacterial Blooms ◽

Potential Health ◽

North East ◽

Drinking Water Reservoir ◽

Lowland Reservoirs

Eutrophication of reservoirs used for drinking water supplies is a very common problem, particularly in lowland reservoirs. Long water retention time (60-120 days) favours cyanobacterial bloom occurrence in Sulejów Reservoir, Poland. The localisation of the water intake in a bay exposed to north-east winds favoured the Microcystis bloom accumulation, which formed a 0.5 m thick dense scum for the first time in September 1999. Cyanobacterial hepatotoxins can pose a potential health problem because the presence of about 0.8 μg/l microcystins was detected in drinking water during three series of analysis. An investigation of the efficiency of each stage of water treatment processes in the elimination of microcystins showed that pre-chlorination, coagulation, and rapid sand filtration were ineffective in removing microcystins from water. Significant elimination was observed after ozonation and chlorination. The concentration of microcystins in bloom material was between 12 to 860 μg/g dry weight of phytoplankton biomass. Management strategies for reservoirs should consider the important role of ecohydrological processes, which are often very easy to regulate, and which can be useful for bio-manipulation of the water ecosystem.

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Abstract 16503: Comparison of Management Strategies for the Neonate With Symptomatic Tetralogy of Fallot and Hypoplastic Branch Pulmonary Arteries: Results From the Congenital Catheterization Research Collaborative

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.16503 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Christopher J Petit ◽

Mark Law ◽

Andrew C Glatz ◽

Paul Chai ◽

Jennifer Romano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tetralogy Of Fallot ◽

Reference Group ◽

Primary Repair ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Pulmonary Arteries ◽

Pulmonary Atresia ◽

Treatment Strategies ◽

Z Score ◽

Risk Management Strategies ◽

Secondary Outcomes

Introduction: Symptomatic neonates with tetralogy of Fallot (sTOF) and hypoplastic branch pulmonary arteries (hPA) are at high risk. Management strategies include staged repair (SR) - initial palliation (IP) followed by later complete repair (CR) - or primary repair (PR). A balanced comparison of these approaches is needed in the sTOF neonate with hPA. Methods: Consecutive neonates with sTOF and hPA - defined as one hPA z-score <-2.0 with contralateral z-score <0 - who underwent SR or PR from 2005-17 were retrospectively reviewed by the Congenital Catheterization Research Collaborative. Primary outcome was mortality and secondary outcomes included component (IP, CR, PR) and cumulative (SR): hospital, ICU and surgical morbidities, and reintervention. Outcomes were compared between treatment strategies using propensity score adjustment (PSA) to account for baseline differences between groups (PR=reference group). Results: The cohort comprised 188 neonates including 121 SR (IP: 29 transcatheter; 54 surgery) and 67 PR patients. Presence of pulmonary atresia, lower gestational age and birthweight were more common in the SR cohort. Median right and left hPA z-scores were -2.19 (IQR -2.65, -1.92) and -2.33 (-2.84, -1.99), respectively. There were significant differences in treatment strategy across centers (p<0.01). Overall survival was similar between groups, before (p=0.33) and after PSA (HR 1.91, 0.48-7.7, p=0.36). Reintervention was more common in the SR group overall (HR 1.7, 1.03-2.7, p=0.04), but there was no difference after definitive repair (HR 1.21, 0.71-2.0, p=0.49). Secondary outcomes are shown in Table 1. Conclusions: In this multicenter comparison of SR or PR for management of neonates with sTOF and hPA, after PSA, no difference in mortality was found. Neonatal morbidities largely favored the SR group, but cumulative morbidities and reintervention favored the PR group. Further study is needed to determine late impact of these early advantages to SR.

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Understanding Public Views on a Dam Construction Boom: the Role of Values

Water Resources Management ◽

10.1007/s11269-019-02383-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (14) ◽

pp. 4687-4700 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Christopher Schulz ◽

Julia Martin-Ortega ◽

Klaus Glenk

Keyword(s):

General Public ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Political Legitimacy ◽

Household Survey ◽

Small Scale ◽

Dam Construction ◽

Hydroelectric Power ◽

Value Conflict ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Under Construction

AbstractLarge numbers of dams for hydroelectric power production are currently planned or under construction in many areas around the world. While positive and negative social and environmental impacts of dams are increasingly well understood, little is known about attitudes of the general public towards dams, even though benefits to wider society are often cited to legitimise their construction. In Brazil’s Upper Paraguay River Basin, more than 100 mostly small-scale hydropower dams are planned or under construction in what can be considered a regional dam construction boom. Here we analyse public preferences for strategies to manage dam impacts in the area by investigating the value base that underpins such preferences, drawing on the recently proposed Value Landscapes Approach as our theoretical framework and data from a large representative household survey (N = 1067). We find that contrasting attitudes towards dams, expressed in preferences for economically or ecologically oriented water policies are informed by opposing underlying value landscapes, that is, groups of closely related fundamental, governance-related, and assigned (water) values. While such tensions between opposing values can never be fully eliminated, our research nevertheless gives insights to policy-makers seeking to minimise value conflict and to improve the political legitimacy of public decision-making on dam construction. Moreover, we find that a majority of members of the general public would prefer concentrating dam construction on some rivers while keeping others free-flowing, with direct implications for ecosystems and inland fisheries. This finding may guide policy-makers wishing to develop publicly supported water resources management strategies.

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Habitat use and movements of Australian grayling (Prototroctes maraena) in a Victorian coastal stream

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf17198 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 69 (8) ◽

pp. 1259 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

D. R. Dawson ◽

W. M. Koster

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Conservation Management ◽

Radio Telemetry ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Movement Ecology ◽

Ecological Requirements ◽

Management Actions ◽

Eastern Australia ◽

The World ◽

Australian Grayling

Riverine fishes are among the most imperilled fauna in the world; however, for many species, there is little or no understanding of their ecological requirements. The Australian grayling (Prototroctes maraena) is a small diadromous fish endemic to rivers in south-eastern Australia that has declined considerably in range and abundance and is listed as threatened nationally. To improve understanding of the species’ movement ecology and to inform the development of conservation management actions, we examined the day-to-day movements and habitat use of Australian grayling (n=7) over 8 weeks by using radio-telemetry. Tagged individuals of Australian grayling typically occupied restricted (i.e. tens to hundreds of metres) reaches of stream, and were mostly located in moderate- to fast-flowing habitats (i.e. glide or run), although, at night, use of slower-flowing habitats (i.e. pools) increased. They also undertook longer-distance downstream movements during a period of increased streamflow. Incorporation of such information into management strategies has the potential to improve our capacity to maintain or re-instate the conditions required to conserve and restore Australian grayling populations.

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XI. The 'Power of Water' in a Divided Central Asia

Perspectives on Global Development and Technology ◽

10.1163/156915003322986415 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 593-614 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Anatoly Krutov ◽

Max Spoor

Keyword(s):

Central Asia ◽

Water Reservoir ◽

Mineral Resources ◽

Aral Sea ◽

Hydroelectric Power ◽

Ferghana Valley ◽

Interethnic Conflict ◽

Independent States ◽

The 1960S ◽

Soviet Central Asia

AbstractIn the not-too-distant future, the former Soviet Central Asia could be confronted with resource-based conflicts or even, as some observers have suggested, with a "water war." Water is the scarce commodity in a region that is rich in oil, gas, and mineral resources. Most of the water comes from two rivers, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya. These feed the Aral Sea, previously the fourth largest inland fresh (actually brackish) water reservoir in the world. These rivers and their tributaries, together, form the Aral Sea basin. Since the 1960s, the Aral Sea has shrunk rapidly in surface area and in volume of water, representing "one of the world's worst ecological disasters." Increased demand for water for irrigation and hydroelectric power by the competing newly independent states, both upstream and downstream, is a potential source of interstate and even interethnic conflict. The latter could occur in the densely populated Ferghana Valley, where various countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan share common borders.

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Aquatic habitat use in a semi-aquatic mammal: the Eurasian beaver

Animal Biotelemetry ◽

10.1186/s40317-021-00259-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rasmus Mohr Mortensen ◽

Stefanie Reinhardt ◽

Marina Eraker Hjønnevåg ◽

Rory Paul Wilson ◽

Frank Rosell

Keyword(s):

Habitat Use ◽

Building Materials ◽

Aquatic Vegetation ◽

Food Resource ◽

Aquatic Habitat ◽

Fine Scale ◽

Aquatic Habitats ◽

Aquatic Mammal ◽

Clay Sediment ◽

Selection For

Abstract Background Semi-aquatic mammals exploit resources both on land and in water and may require both to meet their habitat requirements including food- and building resources, refuges, and for social interactions with conspecifics. Within this, the specific availability of both terrestrial and aquatic resources is expected to impact individual fitness. Beavers are highly dependent on water for movement and protection from predators. They are central place foragers and mostly forage on woody vegetation near water although aquatic vegetation may also be an important food resource. However, little is known about their use of aquatic habitats. We aimed to address this knowledge gap by dead-reckoning fine-scale movement tracks and classifying fine-scale diving events, which we then related to the spatial distribution of aquatic vegetation and habitat components within the territory. Results Overall, there was a statistically clear decrease in probability that diving would occur at dawn and with increasing distance from territory borders. In addition, the distance from the lodge at which animals dived decreased through the night and during the spring/early summer. There was strong selection for diving habitats located closer to the riverbank, with stronger selection for these areas being observed in individuals with larger home ranges. We saw a higher selection for diving above clay sediment, and within 150 m from the lodge, presumably because mud and clay sediment tended to be located closer to the lodge than sand and rock sediment. Furthermore, we found a clear selection for diving in the presence of quillwort (Isoetes spp.), shoreweed (Littorella uniflora), and stonewort (Nitella spp.). Selection for these focal species was stronger among subordinate individuals. Individuals with lower body condition dived closer to the beaver lodge, and dives located further from the lodge were associated with high densities of aquatic vegetation. Conclusion We provide new knowledge on the aquatic habitat use in a semi-aquatic mammal and show how energetic constraints may shape how beavers spatially use the aquatic environment, whereby short and shallow dives appear most beneficial. We show how aquatic habitats may have great importance for both foraging, building materials and safety, and discuss to how they may affect the fitness of individuals.

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Dataset of long-term monitoring of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the influence areas of a hydroelectric power plant on the Madeira River in the Amazon Basin

Biodiversity Data Journal ◽

10.3897/bdj.6.e24375 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e24375 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Itanna Fernandes ◽

Jorge de Souza

Keyword(s):

Power Plant ◽

Amazon Basin ◽

Hydroelectric Power Plant ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Hydroelectric Power ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Influence Area ◽

Before And After ◽

Madeira River ◽

The Impact

Biodiversity loss is accelerating rapidly in response to increasing human influence on the Earth’s natural ecosystems. One way to overcome this problem is by focusing on places of human interest and monitoring the changes and impacts on the biodiversity. This study was conducted at six sites within the influence area of the Santo Antônio Hydroelectric Power Plant in the margins of the Madeira River in Rondônia State. The sites cover a latitudinal gradient of approximately 100 km in the Brazilian Amazon Basin. The sampling design included six sampling modules with six plots (transects) each, totaling 30 sampling plots. The transects were distributed with 0 km, 0.5 km, 1 km, 2 km, 3 km and 4 km, measured perpendicularly from the river margin towards the interior of the forest. For sampling the ground-dwelling ants, the study used the ALL (ants of the leaf litter) protocol, which is standardized globally in the inventories of ant fauna. For the purpose of impact indicators, the first two campaigns (September 2011 to November 2011) were carried out in the pre-filling period, while campaigns 3 to 10 (February 2012 to November 2014) were carried out during and after the filling of the hydroelectric reservoir. A total of 253 events with a total of 9,165 occurrences were accounted during the monitoring. The ants were distributed in 10 subfamilies, 68 genera and 324 species/morphospecies. The impact on ant biodiversity during the periods before and after filling was measured by ecological indicators and by the presence and absence of some species/morphospecies. This is the first study, as far as we know, including taxonomic and ecological treatment to monitor the impact of a hydroelectric power plant on ant fauna. Until recently, most studies conducted on hydroelectric plants, located in the Amazon Basin, were carried out after the implementation of dams in order to assess their impacts on the environment and biodiversity (Benchimol and Peres 2015, Latrubesse et al. 2017, Sá-Oliveira et al. 2015). Recent studies on dam impacts have begun to be conducted prior to dam implementation (e.g. Bobrowiec and Tavares 2017, Fraga et al. 2014, Moser et al. 2014), thus providing a better overview of the impact and a better assessment of its magnitude.

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SHORT-TERM IMPACT OF A HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT’S RESERVOIR ON THE TREE COMPONENT IN AN ECOTONAL AREA IN SANTA CATARINA

Revista Árvore ◽

10.1590/1806-90882017000300017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Carla Luciane Lima ◽

Ana Carolina da Silva ◽

Pedro Higuchi ◽

Amanda da Silva Nunes ◽

Juliana Pizutti Dallabrida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Structural Organization ◽

Riparian Forest ◽

Water Reservoir ◽

Hydroelectric Power ◽

Importance Value ◽

Santa Catarina ◽

Reservoir Water ◽

Short Period ◽

Tree Component ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT This study was conducted in an ecotonal area between the Mixed Ombrophilous Forest (MOF) and the Deciduous Seasonal Forest (DSF) in Santa Catarina, Brazil, to identify the impact of the water reservoir of the Garibaldi hydroelectric power plant on the mortality and floristic-structural composition of the tree component in a riparian forest adjacent to it. One year after the reservoir water filling, 48 200 m2 plots were systematically allocated in three sectors: adjacent to the water reservoir, intermediate slope and upper slope. The tree species individuals with circumference at breast height (CBH) > 15.7 cm were identified and measured (CBH); dead individuals were quantified. The geographic coordinates of each plot were obtained. Species diversity was analyzed by Shannon and Pielou indexes and the floristic-structural organization was evaluated through phytosociological estimates, Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and Mantel test. Variations on mortality and floristic-structural organization regarding environmental sectors were tested with Generalized Linear Models (GLMs). 70 species have been found in the community with Shannon and Pielou values of 3.10 and 0.73, respectively. Dead individuals have shown the second highest importance value (9.59%) with the highest mortality in the lower sector (p < 0.05), which may be associated with its proximity to the water surface. The community organization has shown spatial structure; however, the NMDS and GLMs have shown no floristic-structural differentiation among sectors, probably on account of the short period of exposure to reservoir filling impacts.

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