The Three Gorges Dam: An ecological perspective

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Jiang, M.X.
  • Wu, J.
  • Gao, X.M.
  • Shen, Z.H.
  • Jiang, Z.G.
  • Primack, R.B.
  • Huang, J.H.
  • Han, X.G.
  • He, F.

• 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 grandscale 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.

• Date created

  2004

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Dams
  • Ecology
  • Three Gorges Dam
  • China

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3T43J553

• License

  © 2004 Ecological Society of America. This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.