Connecting Jaguar's Well-being with the Amazon: Exploring the Reciprocal Vitality of the River and Rainforest
The upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), to be held in Belém, Brazil, will place a significant focus on the Amazon rainforest. However, it's essential to remember that the Amazon rainforest and the Amazon River are not separate entities but intertwined parts of the Amazon Basin, a single system.
A study published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice has shown that there is considerable overlap in the habitat corridors for forest and river species in the Amazon Basin. This interconnectedness is crucial for the survival of various species, from jaguars to dolphins.
If conservation programs prioritize terrestrial species, they will capture only 22% of the freshwater benefits that could be achieved through Amazon-focused conservation planning. A 2020 paper in Science demonstrated that if Amazon conservation programs prioritize terrestrial species, they will miss the boat for freshwater benefits.
The Amazon River, not the rainforest, is commonly referred to as 'the Amazon' by people. Rivers in the Amazon Basin are among the most important migratory corridors for jaguars. Approximately 17% of the Amazon Basin contains both important rivers for dolphins, turtles, and migratory fish and areas of high jaguar density.
The Amazon rainforest helps create the rain that feeds the rivers. Rivers, in turn, deliver nutrients and sediment to nourish key parts of the Amazon rainforest. The rivers support two of the world's six species of river dolphin and more than 3,000 species of fish. The jaguar, the world's most aquatic cat, is comfortable swimming and hunting in rivers and wetlands.
The Amazon Basin supports 70% of the world's jaguars. However, jaguars have lost about half of their total habitat range, with losses accelerating in the past two decades. Migratory fish underpin fisheries that generate over $430 million per year in the Amazon Basin.
Currently, about 60% of large rivers in the Amazon Basin remain undammed and free-flowing. Unfortunately, only one-third of large rivers in the Amazon Basin would remain free-flowing if proposed hydropower dams were to be built. The integration of conservation planning for aquatic and terrestrial species in the Amazon Basin can increase freshwater benefits sixfold, with only a 1% decline in terrestrial benefits.
Approximately 2/3 of the areas in the Amazon Basin that overlap high jaguar density and important rivers for dolphins, turtles, and migratory fish have some form of protection. Most of these overlapping high-value areas (83%) are in Brazil and Peru. The scientific authors of the study investigating the overlap of habitat corridors for jaguars and river species in the Amazon region are Ana Paula Drummond Ayres and Marcus Vinicius Vieira.
Planning and investment to maintain, manage or restore connectivity corridors can benefit a broad range of species, from jaguars to dolphins, while safeguarding benefits to people. The Amazon Basin is a unique and vital ecosystem, and its conservation requires a holistic approach that considers both the rainforest and the rivers.
