Small hydropower plants as a threat to the endangered pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera

The Science of the Total Environment
Ronaldo SousaBelinda Gallardo

Abstract

Freshwater mussels are undergoing rapid global declines due to habitat loss and fragmentation, among other factors, but little is known about the effects of small hydropower plants. Here we assessed the impact of small hydropower plants on the abundance and size structure of the imperilled pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera. For this, we sampled 66 sites in three Portuguese rivers (Mente, Rabaçal and Tuela) located upstream and downstream of dams and within the reservoirs. Pearl mussels were significantly more abundant upstream than downstream of dams (97.4% more) or within reservoirs (98.5% more). In addition, juveniles were mostly found upstream of dams. The most significant environmental alterations that explained the observed patterns were related to changes in sediment characteristics (accumulation of fine sediments and organic matter in reservoirs) and water chemistry, most notably suspended solids (highest values in reservoirs) and dissolved oxygen (lowest values in reservoirs). Overall, results show that small hydropower plants can deeply affect pearl mussel populations: specimens almost disappeared from the areas within the reservoirs and sites located downstream only retained adults without signs of recent recru...Continue Reading

Citations

Mar 20, 2021·Global Change Biology·Ronaldo SousaJoana G Nogueira
Aug 7, 2021·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·Joana Garrido NogueiraManuel Lopes-Lima

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