A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers

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

doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers

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

^*Corresponding author for this work

Florida International University
Lancaster University
University of Tennessee
Cornell University
Stanford University
Indiana University Bloomington
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Mississippi State University
Field Museum of Natural History
CNRS)
Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana
Wildlife Conservation Society
Andes
Universidad Javeriana
Wildlife Conservation Society-Bolivia
Wildlife Conservation Society
Amazon Waters Alliance

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

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.

Original language	English
Article number	623
Journal	Communications Earth and Environment
Volume	6
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8
State	Published - Dec 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 15 Life on Land

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10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

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Anderson, E. P., Encalada, A. C., Couto, T. B. A., Beveridge, C. F., Herrera-R, G. A., Heilpern, S. A., Almeida, R. M., Cañas-Alva, C., Correa, S. B., de Souza, L. S., Duponchelle, F., Garcia-Davila, C., Goulding, M., López-Casas, S., Maldonado-Ocampo, J. A., Miranda-Chumacero, G., Montoya, M., Piland, N. C., Victoria-Lacy, L., ... Jenkins, C. N. (2025). A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers. Communications Earth and Environment, 6(1), Article 623. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

@article{6f134213d024408992b9e2afb7a7dc01,

title = "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 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.",

author = "Anderson, \{Elizabeth P.\} and Encalada, \{Andrea C.\} and Couto, \{Thiago B.A.\} and Beveridge, \{Claire F.\} and Herrera-R, \{Guido A.\} and Heilpern, \{Sebastian A.\} and Almeida, \{Rafael M.\} and Carlos Ca{\~n}as-Alva and Correa, \{Sandra B.\} and \{de Souza\}, \{Lesley S.\} and Fabrice Duponchelle and Carmen Garcia-Davila and Michael Goulding and Silvia L{\'o}pez-Casas and Maldonado-Ocampo, \{Javier A.\} and Guido Miranda-Chumacero and Mariana Montoya and Piland, \{Natalia C.\} and Lulu Victoria-Lacy and Mariana Varese and Jenkins, \{Clinton N.\}",

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Anderson, EP, Encalada, AC, Couto, TBA, Beveridge, CF, Herrera-R, GA, Heilpern, SA, Almeida, RM, Cañas-Alva, C, Correa, SB, de Souza, LS, Duponchelle, F, Garcia-Davila, C, Goulding, M, López-Casas, S, Maldonado-Ocampo, JA, Miranda-Chumacero, G, Montoya, M, Piland, NC, Victoria-Lacy, L, Varese, M & Jenkins, CN 2025, 'A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers', Communications Earth and Environment, vol. 6, no. 1, 623. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

TY - JOUR

T1 - A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers

AU - Anderson, Elizabeth P.

AU - Encalada, Andrea C.

AU - Couto, Thiago B.A.

AU - Beveridge, Claire F.

AU - Herrera-R, Guido A.

AU - Heilpern, Sebastian A.

AU - Almeida, Rafael M.

AU - Cañas-Alva, Carlos

AU - Correa, Sandra B.

AU - de Souza, Lesley S.

AU - Duponchelle, Fabrice

AU - Garcia-Davila, Carmen

AU - Goulding, Michael

AU - López-Casas, Silvia

AU - Maldonado-Ocampo, Javier A.

AU - Miranda-Chumacero, Guido

AU - Montoya, Mariana

AU - Piland, Natalia C.

AU - Victoria-Lacy, Lulu

AU - Varese, Mariana

AU - Jenkins, Clinton N.

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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U2 - 10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

DO - 10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

M3 - Artículo

AN - SCOPUS:105012594645

SN - 2662-4435

VL - 6

JO - Communications Earth and Environment

JF - Communications Earth and Environment

IS - 1

M1 - 623

ER -

A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers

Abstract

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