Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil
Published on: July 29, 2020
Water diversion in Brazil threatens biodiversity
Vanessa S Daga1, Valter M Azevedo-Santos2, Fernando M Pelicice3
1Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (LEC), Departamento de Engenharia Ambiental, Setor de Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, 81531-970, Brazil. vanedaga@yahoo.com.br.
Abstract:
Construction of water diversions is a common response to the increasing demands for freshwater, often resulting in benefits to communities but with the risk of multiple environmental, economic, and social impacts. Water-diversion projects can favor massive introductions and accelerate biotic homogenization. This study provides empirical evidence on the consequences of a proposed law intended to divert water from two large and historically isolated river basins in Brazil: Tocantins to São Francisco. Compositional similarity (CS) and β-diversity were quantified encompassing aquatic organisms: mollusks, zooplankton, crustaceans, insects, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and plants. For CS we (i) considered only native species, and (ii) simulated the introduction of non-natives and assumed the extinction of threatened species due to this water-diversion project. We highlight the environmental risks of such large-scale projects, which are expected to cause impacts on biodiversity linked to bioinvasion and homogenization, and we recommend alternatives in order to solve water-demand conflicts.
More Related Videos
11:27A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
Published on: April 7, 2023
08:14A Method to Define the Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Colon Microbiome Biodiversity in a Mouse Colon Tumor Model
Published on: February 28, 2018
Related Concept Videos
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity and Human Values
Threats to Biodiversity
Diversity of Archaea I
Diversity of Archaea II
Diversity of Protists I