The Three Gorges Dam: an ecological perspective

Abstract

The Three Gorges Dam in China is the largest dam ever built. Its impacts on the biodiversity and ecological processes in the region are causing concern to ecologists worldwide. The dam and associated environmental alterations may result in a number of regional changes in terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, as well as in ecosystem structure and functioning. The dam may also provide a rare opportunity for a grand‐scale experiment in habitat fragmentation, allowing ecologists to develop and test a series of hypotheses concerning the dynamics of biodiversity and biotic communities and their responses to disturbances. Such research can help improve conservation practices, stimulate international collaborations, and promote public education on the environment.

How polluted is the Yangtze river? Water quality downstream from the Three Gorges Dam

“…The area of the many shallow lakes in the middle reaches has decreased by almost two thirds in the past century (Du et al, 2001;Li and Deng, 2004). Moreover, the closing of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) may result in even more drastic environmental alterations such as changes in the whole ecosystem structure and functioning (Wu et al, 2004). Competing interests in the river and its catchment lead to serious problems concerning pollution of groundwater and drinking water (Cai et al, 2002), eutrophication of lakes, deterioration of the ecosystem by industrial wastes, municipal sewage, fertilizers, and intensive animal farming (Chen et al, 2001), shipping pollution (Wu, 2000), and contamination of fish (Chen et al, 2002c).…”

“…The capacities of 143 dams are N0.1 km 3 , including the world's largest and most controversial, the Three Gorges Dam (Wu et al, 2004), which started to fill in June 2003. About 4500 dams in the Jialing river catchment retain an estimated 100 Mt/yr of particulate matter and thus partly compensate for the increased soil erosion caused by deforestation on the steep slopes above Pingshan (upstream of the TGD) in the 1980's.…”

Phytoplankton variation and its relationship with the environment in Xiangxi Bay in spring after damming of the Three-Gorges, China

“…Damming have brought many benefits throughout the world for thousands of years in providing water, controlling floods, irrigating crops, facilitating navigation, creating recreational opportunities, and generating motive power and electricity (Wu et al 2004). However, damming also exerted far-reaching and profound impacts on the ecological environment.…”

Preliminary evidence of delayed spawning and suppressed larval growth and condition of the major carps in the Yangtze River below the Three Gorges Dam

“…Dam construction has been one of the major threats to aquatic biodiversity and fishery resources in river systems of the world (Poff et al 1997;Wu et al 2004;Xie et al 2007). Effects of dam construction on nutrients and water temperature, and subsequent effects on fish, have been reported in other river systems worldwide (Zhong and Power 1996;Pringle et al 2000;Jiao et al 2007).…”