A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers
Abstract Amazon freshwater systems influence global hydroclimatic patterns, host unparalleled biological diversity, and support unique social-ecological systems. Rivers of the Western Amazon underpin this global importance with an outsized, underrecognized role at the Amazon Basin scale. Here we exa...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8 |
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| author | Elizabeth P. Anderson Andrea C. Encalada Thiago B. A. Couto Claire F. Beveridge Guido A. Herrera-R Sebastian A. Heilpern Rafael M. Almeida Carlos Cañas-Alva Sandra B. Correa Lesley S. de Souza Fabrice Duponchelle Carmen Garcia-Davila Michael Goulding Silvia López-Casas Javier A. Maldonado-Ocampo Guido Miranda-Chumacero Mariana Montoya Natalia C. Piland Lulu Victoria-Lacy Mariana Varese Clinton N. Jenkins |
| author_facet | Elizabeth P. Anderson Andrea C. Encalada Thiago B. A. Couto Claire F. Beveridge Guido A. Herrera-R Sebastian A. Heilpern Rafael M. Almeida Carlos Cañas-Alva Sandra B. Correa Lesley S. de Souza Fabrice Duponchelle Carmen Garcia-Davila Michael Goulding Silvia López-Casas Javier A. Maldonado-Ocampo Guido Miranda-Chumacero Mariana Montoya Natalia C. Piland Lulu Victoria-Lacy Mariana Varese Clinton N. Jenkins |
| author_sort | Elizabeth P. Anderson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Amazon freshwater systems influence global hydroclimatic patterns, host unparalleled biological diversity, and support unique social-ecological systems. Rivers of the Western Amazon underpin this global importance with an outsized, underrecognized role at the Amazon Basin scale. Here we examined the status of several components—hydrology, sediments, freshwater fish biodiversity, and longitudinal river connectivity—that support the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers and their linkage to the greater Amazon Basin. Streamflow is largely driven by precipitation and the region supplies nearly all sediments delivered by the Amazon River to the Atlantic Ocean. The Western Amazon harbors 74% of the ichthyofauna of the entire Amazon Basin. Existing dams and road crossings have disrupted longitudinal river connectivity on several rivers. We estimated that 47.8 million people reside in the Amazon Basin, with more than half (58%) inhabiting the Western Amazon. This study helps establish a baseline for tracking change in Western Amazon river ecosystems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e544908489444cc480eeeafb05990931 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-e544908489444cc480eeeafb059909312025-08-20T03:46:29ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-08-016111110.1038/s43247-025-02530-8A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon riversElizabeth P. Anderson0Andrea C. Encalada1Thiago B. A. Couto2Claire F. Beveridge3Guido A. Herrera-R4Sebastian A. Heilpern5Rafael M. Almeida6Carlos Cañas-Alva7Sandra B. Correa8Lesley S. de Souza9Fabrice Duponchelle10Carmen Garcia-Davila11Michael Goulding12Silvia López-Casas13Javier A. Maldonado-Ocampo14Guido Miranda-Chumacero15Mariana Montoya16Natalia C. Piland17Lulu Victoria-Lacy18Mariana Varese19Clinton N. Jenkins20Institute of Environment and Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International UniversityGlobal Research and Solutions Center, Universidad San Francisco de QuitoInstitute of Environment and Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International UniversityInstitute of Environment and Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International UniversityDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of TennesseeDepartment of Public and Ecosystem Health, Cornell UniversitySchool of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana UniversityBureau of Water Resource Information. St. Johns River Water Management DistrictForest and Wildlife Research Center and Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mississippi State UniversityDepartment of Collections, Conservation and Research, Field Museum of Natural HistoryInstitut de Recherche pour le Développement, MARBEC (Univ Montpellier, CNRS, IFREMER, IRD)Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia PeruanaWildlife Conservation SocietyWildlife Conservation Society, Andes, Amazon and Orinoco Regional ProgramDepartment of Biology, Pontificia Universidad JaverianaWildlife Conservation Society, Bolivia ProgramWildlife Conservation SocietyInstitute of Environment and Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International UniversityInstitute of Environment and Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International UniversityWildlife Conservation SocietyInstitute of Environment and Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International UniversityAbstract Amazon freshwater systems influence global hydroclimatic patterns, host unparalleled biological diversity, and support unique social-ecological systems. Rivers of the Western Amazon underpin this global importance with an outsized, underrecognized role at the Amazon Basin scale. Here we examined the status of several components—hydrology, sediments, freshwater fish biodiversity, and longitudinal river connectivity—that support the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers and their linkage to the greater Amazon Basin. Streamflow is largely driven by precipitation and the region supplies nearly all sediments delivered by the Amazon River to the Atlantic Ocean. The Western Amazon harbors 74% of the ichthyofauna of the entire Amazon Basin. Existing dams and road crossings have disrupted longitudinal river connectivity on several rivers. We estimated that 47.8 million people reside in the Amazon Basin, with more than half (58%) inhabiting the Western Amazon. This study helps establish a baseline for tracking change in Western Amazon river ecosystems.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8 |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth P. Anderson Andrea C. Encalada Thiago B. A. Couto Claire F. Beveridge Guido A. Herrera-R Sebastian A. Heilpern Rafael M. Almeida Carlos Cañas-Alva Sandra B. Correa Lesley S. de Souza Fabrice Duponchelle Carmen Garcia-Davila Michael Goulding Silvia López-Casas Javier A. Maldonado-Ocampo Guido Miranda-Chumacero Mariana Montoya Natalia C. Piland Lulu Victoria-Lacy Mariana Varese Clinton N. Jenkins A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers |
| title_full | A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers |
| title_fullStr | A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers |
| title_short | A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers |
| title_sort | baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of western amazon rivers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8 |
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