We know the importance of preserving the Amazon’s plants and animals, but did you know we need to protect the Amazon’s water, too? It is in danger, according to an article recently published in Global Change Biology magazine. Often the area’s plants and animals receive more conservation attention than its water, but scientists say these needs are intertwined.
The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest. It covers about 40 percent of South America, spanning across nine countries: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. About 10 percent of the world’s species live in the Amazon. It houses more than 40,000 plant species and about 2.5 million insect species. The Amazon also includes the world’s largest network of rivers and lakes, which channels water into the massive Amazon River.
Plants and animals of course depend on this water for survival, as do the people who live in the rainforest area. Man-made dams are altering the Amazon’s freshwater ecosystem. The amount of water in the lakes and streams is being changed, which in turn disrupts the ecosystem. Because the natural water flow is interrupted, fish and other animals cannot move through the water. Nutrients in the water aren’t transported downstream either.
The Amazon’s water systems are also being harmed by mining, which removes natural elements from the water and also pollutes it, as well as deforestation. The latter reduces rainfall and causes drought conditions to worsen. One of the most important steps needed to protect the Amazon’s water is consistent policies from country to country, scientists say.