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A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers. / Anderson, Elizabeth P.; Encalada, Andrea C.; Couto, Thiago B. A. et al.
In: Communications Earth & Environment, Vol. 6, No. 1, 623, 04.08.2025.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

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 & Environment, vol. 6, no. 1, 623. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

APA

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 & Environment, 6(1), Article 623. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

Vancouver

Anderson EP, Encalada AC, Couto TBA, Beveridge CF, Herrera-R GA, Heilpern SA et al. A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers. Communications Earth & Environment. 2025 Aug 4;6(1):623. doi: 10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

Author

Anderson, Elizabeth P. ; Encalada, Andrea C. ; Couto, Thiago B. A. et al. / A baseline for assessing the ecological integrity of Western Amazon rivers. In: Communications Earth & Environment. 2025 ; Vol. 6, No. 1.

Bibtex

@article{6ef345ff92ac4c238613695962f31d2d,
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.}",
year = "2025",
month = aug,
day = "4",
doi = "10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8",
language = "English",
volume = "6",
journal = "Communications Earth & Environment",
issn = "2662-4435",
publisher = "Nature Research",
number = "1",

}

RIS

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 - 2025/8/4

Y1 - 2025/8/4

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.

U2 - 10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

DO - 10.1038/s43247-025-02530-8

M3 - Journal article

VL - 6

JO - Communications Earth & Environment

JF - Communications Earth & Environment

SN - 2662-4435

IS - 1

M1 - 623

ER -