Abstract
The rapid expansion of hydropower across tropical landscapes has caused extensive habitat loss and degradation, triggering biodiversity loss. Despite known risks to freshwater biodiversity, the flooding of terrestrial habitats caused by dam construction, and associated impacts on terrestrial biota, have been rarely considered. To help fill this knowledge gap, we quantified the habitat loss following inundation of hydropower reservoirs across the range of two iconic species, jaguars and tigers. To do so, we compiled existing and planned dams intersecting the distribution of these apex predators. We found 164 dams intersecting the jaguar range, in total flooding 25,397 km2. For tigers, we identified 421 dams, amounting to 13,750 km2. As hydropower infrastructure is projected to expand in the decades ahead, these values are expected to increase greatly, particularly within the distribution of jaguars where the number of dams will nearly quadruple (429 planned dams). Despite the relatively few dams (41) planned across the range of tigers, most will intersect priority conservation areas for this species. We recommend a more cautious pursuit of hydropower in topographically flat regions, to avoid extensive habitat flooding which has occurred in the Neotropics, and avoiding dam construction in priority conservation landscapes for tigers.
Highlights
The rapid expansion of hydropower across tropical landscapes has caused extensive habitat loss and degradation, triggering biodiversity loss
We considered the potential impacts of hydropower development on jaguars (Panthera onca) and tigers (Panthera tigris), which occupy the apex predator positions across the Neotropics and Paleotropics, respectively
Many studies have identified losses of both freshwater fauna induced by river disconnectivity[1,2] and terrestrial species assemblages due to habitat insularization often resulting from flooding[26,27]
Summary
The rapid expansion of hydropower across tropical landscapes has caused extensive habitat loss and degradation, triggering biodiversity loss. Despite known risks to freshwater biodiversity, the flooding of terrestrial habitats caused by dam construction, and associated impacts on terrestrial biota, have been rarely considered To help fill this knowledge gap, we quantified the habitat loss following inundation of hydropower reservoirs across the range of two iconic species, jaguars and tigers. Effects on terrestrial species include both direct habitat loss due to flooding and declines in local density in the surrounding landscape[12,13,14] Due to their low population densities and large area requirements[15], apex predators are expected to be susceptible to habitat loss caused by hydropower infrastructure—. Hydropower expansion has been identified as a potential key driver of habitat loss, and a threat to both jaguars[23] and tigers[22], but the magnitude of this threat has not yet been examined
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