Fragmentation of Andes-to-Amazon connectivity by hydropower dams

Elizabeth P. Anderson; Clinton N. Jenkins; Sebastian Heilpern; Javier A. Maldonado-Ocampo; Fernando M. Carvajal-Vallejos; Andrea C. Encalada; Juan Francisco Rivadeneira; Max Hidalgo; Carlos M. Cañas; Hernan Ortega; Norma Salcedo; Mabel Maldonado; Pablo A. Tedesco

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aao1642

Fragmentation of Andes-to-Amazon connectivity by hydropower dams

Elizabeth P. Anderson, Clinton N. Jenkins, Sebastian Heilpern, Javier A. Maldonado-Ocampo, Fernando M. Carvajal-Vallejos, Andrea C. Encalada, Juan Francisco Rivadeneira, Max Hidalgo, Carlos M. Cañas, Hernan Ortega, Norma Salcedo, Mabel Maldonado, Pablo A. Tedesco

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

78 Scopus citations

Abstract

Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved;. Andes-to-Amazon river connectivity controls numerous natural and human systems in the greater Amazon. However, it is being rapidly altered by a wave of new hydropower development, the impacts of which have been previously underestimated. We document 142 dams existing or under construction and 160 proposed dams for rivers draining the Andean headwaters of the Amazon. Existing dams have fragmented the tributary networks of six of eight major Andean Amazon river basins. Proposed dams could result in significant losses in river connectivity in river mainstems of five of eightmajor systems-the Napo, Marañón, Ucayali, Beni, andMamoré.With a newly reported 671 freshwater fish species inhabiting the Andean headwaters of the Amazon (>500 m), dams threaten previously unrecognized biodiversity, particularly among endemic andmigratory species. Because Andean rivers contribute most of the sediment in the mainstem Amazon, losses in river connectivity translate to drastic alteration of river channel and floodplain geomorphology and associated ecosystem services.

Original language	American English
Journal	Science advances
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aao1642
State	Published - 1 Jan 2018

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Anderson, E. P., Jenkins, C. N., Heilpern, S., Maldonado-Ocampo, J. A., Carvajal-Vallejos, F. M., Encalada, A. C., Rivadeneira, J. F., Hidalgo, M., Cañas, C. M., Ortega, H., Salcedo, N., Maldonado, M., & Tedesco, P. A. (2018). Fragmentation of Andes-to-Amazon connectivity by hydropower dams. Science advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aao1642

Anderson, Elizabeth P. ; Jenkins, Clinton N. ; Heilpern, Sebastian ; Maldonado-Ocampo, Javier A. ; Carvajal-Vallejos, Fernando M. ; Encalada, Andrea C. ; Rivadeneira, Juan Francisco ; Hidalgo, Max ; Cañas, Carlos M. ; Ortega, Hernan ; Salcedo, Norma ; Maldonado, Mabel ; Tedesco, Pablo A. / Fragmentation of Andes-to-Amazon connectivity by hydropower dams. In: Science advances. 2018.

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abstract = "Copyright {\textcopyright} 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved;. Andes-to-Amazon river connectivity controls numerous natural and human systems in the greater Amazon. However, it is being rapidly altered by a wave of new hydropower development, the impacts of which have been previously underestimated. We document 142 dams existing or under construction and 160 proposed dams for rivers draining the Andean headwaters of the Amazon. Existing dams have fragmented the tributary networks of six of eight major Andean Amazon river basins. Proposed dams could result in significant losses in river connectivity in river mainstems of five of eightmajor systems-the Napo, Mara{\~n}{\'o}n, Ucayali, Beni, andMamor{\'e}.With a newly reported 671 freshwater fish species inhabiting the Andean headwaters of the Amazon (>500 m), dams threaten previously unrecognized biodiversity, particularly among endemic andmigratory species. Because Andean rivers contribute most of the sediment in the mainstem Amazon, losses in river connectivity translate to drastic alteration of river channel and floodplain geomorphology and associated ecosystem services.",

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Fragmentation of Andes-to-Amazon connectivity by hydropower dams. / Anderson, Elizabeth P.; Jenkins, Clinton N.; Heilpern, Sebastian; Maldonado-Ocampo, Javier A.; Carvajal-Vallejos, Fernando M.; Encalada, Andrea C.; Rivadeneira, Juan Francisco; Hidalgo, Max; Cañas, Carlos M.; Ortega, Hernan; Salcedo, Norma; Maldonado, Mabel; Tedesco, Pablo A.

In: Science advances, 01.01.2018.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

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