Abiotic modulators of Podocnemis unifilis (Testudines: Podocnemididae) abundances in the Peruvian Amazon

Interpretation and implementation of the ConventionCompliance and enforcement Review of Significant Trade in specimens of Appendix-II species [Resolution Conf. 12.8 (Rev. CoP13)] SPECIES SELECTED FOLLOWING COP151. This document has been prepared by the Secretariat. 3. At its 26th meeting (AC26, Geneva, 2012), the Committee reviewed the available information on these taxa in accordance with paragraph f) of Resolution Conf. 12.8 (Rev. CoP13). In instances where the Committee was satisfied that Article IV, paragraph 2 (a), 3 or 6 (a), was correctly implemented, it eliminated the species from the review with respect to the range State concerned, and these range States were notified accordingly by the Secretariat (see document AC26 Doc.12.3 and the summary record of AC26). At its 25th meeting (AC25,Geneva4. At AC26, the Committee also agreed that prior to the compilation of information called for in paragraph g), range States that had been kept in the process due to a lack of response but where no commercial trade had been recorded over the most recent 10 years, would be removed from the process in consultation with the Animals Committee. The taxa and range States that were thus retained in the review are shown in the table below. Taxa selected following CoP15 and retained in the review after AC26 Taxon selected Range StateMacaca fascicularis Cambodia; India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mauritius, Palau, Philippines, Viet Nam Psittacus erithacusBenin, Central African Republic, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Uganda Chamaeleo gracilisBenin, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea, Togo, Uganda Chamaeleo senegalensisBenin, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone Trioceros melleri Mozambique Trioceros quadricornisCameroon, Nigeria Trachyphyllia geoffroyi Singapore, Solomon Islands 5. In accordance with paragraph g) of the Resolution, the Secretariat proceeded with the compilation of information regarding the species mentioned in the table above. The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) was engaged to compile information about the biology and management of and trade in these species, and to provide a preliminary categorization of the species in compliance with paragraphs h) and i). The Secretariat transmitted the resulting reports from UNEP-WCMC to relevant range States on 13 and 19 December 2013, which had 60 days to submit comments in accordance with paragraph j). Kinyongia fischeri United Republic of Tanzania Kinyongia tavetana United Republic of Tanzania Ptyas mucosus6. The species reports of UNEP-WCMC present conclusions about the effects of international trade on the selected species, the basis on which such conclusions are made, and problems with the implementation of Article IV of the Convention. They provide preliminary categorizations of each species into one of the three categories outlined in paragraph i) of Resolution Conf. 12.8 (Rev. CoP13), namely: i) 'species of urgent concern' shall include species for which the available information indicates that the provisions of Article IV, paragraph 2 ...

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“…Based on surveys conducted across the Amazon basin, Norris et al (2011) estimated maximum abundances of 2-20 P. unifilis/km of river.…”

Section: General Distribution and Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Short Review of the International Trade of Wild Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles Across the World and Throughout Two Decades

Luiselli

Starita

Carpaneto³

et al. 2016

Chelonian Conservation and Biology

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“…6 km surrounding islands in Florida: Breininger et al, 2019) and more widely (e.g. P. unifilis populations along > 50 km of rivers in Bolivia: Coway‐Gómez, 2007; Yapu‐Alcázar et al, 2018; and Peru: Norris et al, 2011; Pitman et al, 2011). As P. unifilis is widespread and ubiquitous across Amazonian river basins (Turtle Taxonomy Working Group, 2017; Norris et al, 2019), integrating nesting area surveys with river‐based population monitoring could provide robust empirical estimates to parameterize population viability analysis in basins and rivers affected by hydropower developments across Amazonia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amazonian run‐of‐river dam reservoir impacts underestimated: Evidence from a before–after control–impact study of freshwater turtle nesting areas

Bárcenas-García

Michalski

Gibbs

et al. 2022

Aquatic Conservation

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Hydropower dams are associated with adverse impacts on biodiversity, yet there remains a lack of robust scientific evidence documenting the magnitude of these impacts, particularly across highly biodiverse tropical waterways. Aquatic and semi‐aquatic vertebrates are disproportionately affected by human changes to aquatic environments and hydropower expansion is an increasing threat to the Endangered yellow‐spotted river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) across its tropical South American range. Yellow‐spotted river turtle nesting areas were monitored as an indicator of dry season river level changes following run‐of‐river dam reservoir filling. A before–after control–impact (BACI) study design was used with multi‐year field campaigns monitoring turtle nesting areas upstream of the dam. The cause and extent of changes in nesting areas were established using generalized additive models. Nesting area density was evaluated in relation to time (before vs. after), treatment (control vs. impact), time–treatment interaction (BACI), distance to the dam and precipitation. The extent of changes was examined by comparing the remaining proportion of nesting areas after reservoir filling. Dam construction generated an immediate and apparently permanent dry season river‐level rise that extended more than 20 km beyond impact assessment limits. On average the density of nesting areas declined by 69% (from 0.48 to 0.15 per km) across 33 km of river directly affected by the dam. This loss was reflected in a significant BACI interaction. Nesting area density was not explained by seasonal precipitation. Monitoring of freshwater turtle nesting areas provided an effective means to quantify hydropower dam impacts across biodiverse yet rapidly changing waterways. The adverse impacts documented in this study should be preventable by mitigation actions including habitat creation and dry season flow regulation. Such measures are also likely to benefit multiple sandbar‐nesting species (including turtles, crocodiles and birds) in tropical rivers increasingly influenced by run‐of‐river dams.

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“…14 adult females per km was estimated in the Pacaya River Cóppula 1980, Soini 1996). Norris et al (2011) and Pitman et al (2011) showed an increase in P. unifilis abundance in four years of monitoring following the establishment of a protected area in southern Peru. Podocnemis sextuberculata is not common in Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve (Soini and Cóppula 1980), possibly due to natural causes (Soini 1996).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Biology and Conservation of the Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises of Peru

Ferronato

Morales

2012

RandA

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Little information has been published on Peruvian chelonians. Here we have compiled the available literature pertaining to Peruvian freshwater turtles and tortoises on four topics: Human consumption and ethnobiology, habitat use, status and abundance, and reproduction. In addition, we provide a map of the regions of Peru showing the number of research records and the number of species that occur in each region. Reproduction was the topic most frequently studied, although investigations were concentrated on only three species (Podocnemis unifilis, P. expansa, P. sextuberculata). The regions where the most studies were implemented are the Departamentos de Loreto and Madre de Dios, with studies tending to be concentrated in the vicinity of Iquitos, the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, and Manu National Park and its buffer zone. In general, regions in which more research effort was evident reported more turtle species, which suggests that the least-studied states could have more species, as they share the same types of habitats as the more intensely investigated regions. We identified major gaps in information and suggest future research in the following poorly studied Peruvian regions: Departaments of Junín, San Martín, Tumbes, Huanuco, Amazonas, Cusco, Ayacucho, Puno, Huancavelica, and Cajamarca. The status, distribution, and abundance of Peruvian populations of Podocnemis expansa, P. unifilis, Chelonoidis carbonaria, Peltocephalus dumerilianus, and Mesoclemmys heliostemma are in particular need of study. Conservation priorities are also discussed.

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Abiotic modulators of Podocnemis unifilis (Testudines: Podocnemididae) abundances in the Peruvian Amazon

Cited by 10 publications

References 30 publications

A Short Review of the International Trade of Wild Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles Across the World and Throughout Two Decades

A Short Review of the International Trade of Wild Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles Across the World and Throughout Two Decades

Amazonian run‐of‐river dam reservoir impacts underestimated: Evidence from a before–after control–impact study of freshwater turtle nesting areas

Biology and Conservation of the Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises of Peru

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