Hydroelectric power plants in Brazil threaten turtles that depend on rapids, study warns

New research shows that the construction of new hydroelectric power plants in Brazil's South region could have an impact on more than 30% of the habitat of Phrynops williamsi, the Williams' side-necked turtle. The species occurs only in areas of Atlantic Rainforest and Pampa (the grassland biome adjacent to Brazil's border with Uruguay and Argentina), and is classed as "Vulnerable" (facing a high risk of extinction) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).