DAM-INDUCED CHANGES IN FLOODPLAIN HABITATS GENERATE ECOLOGICAL TRAPS FOR AMAZON RIVER TURTLES

These datasets support the analyses presented in the scientific article “Are hydroelectric dams an ecological trap for freshwater turtles in the southwestern Amazon region?”. The data derive from long-term monitoring of the yellow-spotted river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) conducted between 2013 and 2022 along the Madeira River, southwestern Amazon, Brazil, within the area influenced by the Santo Antônio and Jirau hydropower dams. The repository contains two complementary datasets. The first dataset (submersion probability dataset) includes environmental and spatial variables measured at monitored nesting sites and records whether sites were submerged or remained exposed during the nesting season. Variables describe habitat characteristics, substrate type, elevation, distance to dams, and other predictors used to model nest submersion risk under regulated flow conditions. The second dataset (nesting sites dataset) contains information on nesting-site occurrence and nest abundance recorded annually across sampling areas. Each record represents a monitored nesting site per year and includes spatial identifiers, substrate classification, and the number of nests observed, allowing assessment of nesting-site selection patterns and temporal changes in habitat use. Data were collected as part of the Santo Antônio Hydropower Plant Biodiversity Monitoring Programme following standardised field protocols. Together, these datasets were used to evaluate how dam proximity and environmental conditions influence nesting-site selection and flooding risk, enabling assessment of ecological trap dynamics in a dam-regulated tropical river system. The datasets may be reused for studies on freshwater turtle reproductive ecology, habitat selection, hydrological impacts of dams, and conservation management in regulated rivers.