Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/32908
Appears in Collections:Biological and Environmental Sciences Book Chapters and Sections
Title: Using relict species-area relationships to estimate the conservation value of reservoir islands to improve environmental impact assessments of dams
Author(s): Jones, Isabel L
Saldanha Bueno, Anderson
Benchimol, Maira
Palmeirim, Ana Filipa
Storck-Tonon, Danielle
Peres, Carlos A
Contact Email: i.l.jones@stir.ac.uk
Editor(s): Matthews, Thomas J
Triantis, Kostas A
Whittaker, Robert J
Citation: Jones IL, Saldanha Bueno A, Benchimol M, Palmeirim AF, Storck-Tonon D & Peres CA (2021) Using relict species-area relationships to estimate the conservation value of reservoir islands to improve environmental impact assessments of dams. In: Matthews TJ, Triantis KA & Whittaker RJ (eds.) The Species-Area Relationship: Theory and Application. Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 417-437. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108569422.023
Keywords: dams
habitat fragmentation
Environmental Impact Assessment
reservoir islands
relict species-area relationships
extinction debt
biodiversity conservation
conservation value
Issue Date: 2021
Date Deposited: 12-Jul-2021
Series/Report no.: Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation
Abstract: Large dams are emerging drivers of landscape-scale habitat fragmentation, causing extensive flooding and transforming hilltops into islands. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs; the process to assess and account for impacts of development) do not explicitly consider reservoir islands in calculations of habitat impacted by dam construction. Reservoir islands maintain relict biological communities from the previously continuous habitat. Relict communities are subject to an extinction debt whereby species are lost over time. We demonstrate how estimating the ‘conservation value’ of islands (CV; the proportion of relict continuous habitat [forest] species on islands) using relict species–area relationships (RSARs), can be used in an area-of-impact correction tool to account for insular habitats in EIAs. We used data from eight taxonomic groups within the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir (BHR) archipelago in Brazilian Amazonia. We found ca. 72,000 ha of insular habitat had reduced CV, equating to 60% of aggregate island area, and that an additional 24% of the ca. 300,000 ha BHR water surface area should be included in area assessments for impacted terrestrial habitat. Where reservoir island creation is unavoidable, using RSARs to assess the CV of islands enables more accurate and dynamic assessment of the ecological impacts of dam construction.
Rights: This item has been embargoed for a period. During the embargo please use the Request a Copy feature at the foot of the Repository record to request a copy directly from the author. You can only request a copy if you wish to use this work for your own research or private study. This material has been published in The Species-Area Relationship: Theory and Application edited by Thomas J Matthews, Kostas A Triantis, Robert J Whittaker. This version is free to view and download for personal use only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Cambridge University Press 2020. https://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/life-sciences/ecology-and-conservation/speciesarea-relationship-theory-and-application?format=PB
DOI Link: 10.1017/9781108569422.023
Licence URL(s): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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