The Paraguay-Paraná Hidrovía: Protecting the Pantanal with Lessons from the Past

Gottgens, Johan F.; Perry, James E.; Fortney, Ronald H.; Meyer, Jill; Benedict, Michael; Rood, Brian E.

doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0301:tpphap]2.0.co;2

Cited by 49 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…However populations remain fragmented, and although the threat of commercial hunting has declined, habitat degradation has increased. Proposed mega-projects such as the canalisation of the Paraguay River, the construction of hydroelectric dams, and the transposition of the São Francisco River threaten the riparian ecosystems of South America and the recovery of the giant otter (Gottgens et al 2001;Groenendijk et al 2005;Duplaix et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity and population structure in the endangered giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis

et al. 2011

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We assessed levels of genetic diversity and investigated patterns of population structure in three remnant populations of the endangered giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, using microsatellite loci. All populations displayed moderate to low levels of heterozygosity and allelic richness (H O 0.56-0.57, A R 4.00-5.15) and effective population sizes were low (N E 10.8-54) although only the Iténez population exhibited the signature of a genetic bottleneck. Population structure analyses revealed a pattern in which the populations of the Upper Amazon, Orinoco and Essequibo drainages comprised partially differentiated segments of a northern South American metapopulation, whereas the population of the Iténez appeared isolated. The observed patterns are congruent with previous mitochondrial DNA analysis which suggested the Iténez and northern South American groups constitute two evolutionary significant units. The results presented here should be considered in planning future policies aiming to manage the recovery of the giant otter across its range.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic diversity and population structure in the endangered giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis

et al. 2011

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“…Plans for canalization of the Paraguay River, known as the Paraguay-Parana Hidrovia project, potentially place at risk the natural flood regime of broad areas within the Pantanal, but future anthropogenic effects may vary according to the characteristics of each subregion. This aspect is a key concern for environmentalists (Hamilton 1999(Hamilton , 2002Gottgens et al 2001); consequently, this study aims to contribute to further understanding the natural functioning of one of the largest Pantanal subregions: Nhecolâ ndia.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical diversity and spatial variability in myriad lakes in Nhecolândia in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil

Furian

Martins

Parizotto

et al. 2013

Limnology & Oceanography

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Nearly 15,000 shallow, saline or freshwater lakes and ponds coexist in close proximity in the Nhecolâ ndia, a 24,000 km 2 subregion of the Pantanal wetland in Brazil. This study aims to understand the origin of such diversity in surface water, which is a key aspect for the wetland services and biodiversity in the region. Both soil observations and water samples were collected at the regional or local scale and supplemented by previously published data sets. Statistical and geostatistical treatments were carried out and completed by discrete watertable monitoring. The results confirmed the absence of a regional pattern in surface-water salinity, and the independence of electrical conductivity values, even for neighboring lakes. Despite great differences in chemical composition, all surface waters in the region belong to the same chemical family, corresponding to several concentration stages of the Taquari River water that supplies the region. The concentration stage depends on the hydrological functioning of each lake, which is itself controlled by the relative importance of low-permeability soils as a barrier to movement of water into or out of the lakes through the subsurface. In this framework, oligosaline ponds, freshwater lakes, and saline lakes work as recharge, flow-through, and discharge wetlands, respectively. The salinity observed in some lakes results from an ongoing process of accumulation and evaporation under relatively humid climatic conditions and poor drainage.

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“…The main aim is to facilitate the export of soybeans, minerals, timber and other commodities from the interior. Extensive wetlands, in particular the Pantanal, will be affected by this project (Huszar et al 1999 ;Gottgens et al 2001 ). About 7.3 × 10 6 m 3 of sediment are dredged to enforce and straighten the rivers for navigation and to build ports.…”

Section: Navigable Waterwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Global View on Future Major Water Engineering Projects

Tockner

Bernhardt

Koska

et al. 2016

Society - Water - Technology

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Human activities have altered how the world functions. During the past decades, we have globally, fundamentally, in the long-term, and in most cases irreversibly modifi ed all spheres of earth. This new epoch, often referred to as the Anthropocene, is just in its early stages. Indeed, there is general agreement that the transformation of our globe takes speed, with consequences that we can hardly imagine but that may threaten our own survival. This goes along with the general idea that major infrastructure projects are a sign of technological progress and believed to stimulate economic development and to improve living conditions for humans. In the present essay, a representative inventory of future major engineering projects, either planned or under construction in aquatic systems worldwide, shows that the rapid transformations of the Anthropocene are particularly evident in the freshwater domain. Worldwide examples of very large dams, major interbasin water-transfer and navigation projects, as well as large-scale restoration schemes, underline the dimensions of and the challenges associated with future megaprojects that will change our freshwater environment. Opportunities to mitigate the consequences of megaprojects based on the lessons learnt from projects in other infrastructure sectors range from ecological engineering to smart water investments that are adjusted to the respective national, social, economic, and environmental conditions.

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The Paraguay-Paraná Hidrovía: Protecting the Pantanal with Lessons from the Past

Cited by 49 publications

References 13 publications

Genetic diversity and population structure in the endangered giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis

Genetic diversity and population structure in the endangered giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis

Chemical diversity and spatial variability in myriad lakes in Nhecolândia in the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil

A Global View on Future Major Water Engineering Projects

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