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Incorporating river morphodynamics in the characterization of key ecological system units for conservation in the western Amazon

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Abstract

This study presents a novel methodology for developing a conservation Blueprint in the western Amazon, focusing on the Marañón, Napo, and Ucayali basins. Our approach highlights the critical role of fluvial integrity in shaping ecological functions and biodiversity through floodplain reshaping, habitat interconnecting across forests, and the transport and distribution of sediments, nutrients, and minerals throughout the region. We introduced two ecological attributes, the Modern Morphodynamics Index (MOR) and the Suspended Sediment Index (SSI), which together provide an improved representation of the temporal dynamics and connectivity that rivers impart to the landscape, as well as their influence on biotic dynamics. Our methodology integrates quantification and classification of biotic (five taxa) and abiotic variables across spatially nested hierarchies to assess ecological conditions and human-induced pressure. The resulting Ecological System (ES) units prioritizes areas with high ecological condition scores (i.e., high integrity) and low anthropogenic impact, enabling the development of more targeted conservation strategies. Our findings underscore (1) the value of incorporating MOR and SSI, which identify regions characterized by high dynamism and substantial sediment and nutrient loads as major drivers of biotic patterns; and (2) the urgent need for expanded species diversity surveys to better understand spatiotemporal distribution patterns across these complex river systems. Overall, this comprehensive framework offers a robust foundation for informing conservation planning and infrastructure development, supporting the long-term sustainable management of these critical Amazonian ecosystems.

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Data availability

Data is provided within the manuscript and supplementary information file.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all participants from the technical workshops held in Lima and Iquitos (Peru), including the communities of Padre Cocha and San Joaquin de Omagua (Loreto, Peru) for sharing local knowledge. Thanks also to Hernan Chicchon and Jesus Marin-Diaz for assisting on the estimation of the MOR index.

Funding

This project was funded by the Freshwater Amazon Program by The Nature Conservancy under Contract PERU 138/2023 with RED YAKU.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Estudios Fluviales e Hidro-Ambientales del Litoral, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Hídricas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina

    L. Dominguez-Ruben

  2. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    L. Dominguez-Ruben

  3. Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA

    T. V. Rojas

  4. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

    P. Petry

  5. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) – Peru, Lima, Peru

    P. Petry & A. Cardenas

  6. Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, 15102, Lima, Peru

    R. Loayza-Muro

  7. Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, 15188, Lima, Peru

    E. Toledo-Ruiz

  8. Department of Research, Education and Development, RED YAKU, Lima, Peru

    L. Dominguez-Ruben, T. V. Rojas, R. Loayza-Muro, E. Toledo-Ruiz & J. D. Abad

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  1. L. Dominguez-Ruben
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  2. T. V. Rojas
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  3. P. Petry
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  4. R. Loayza-Muro
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  5. E. Toledo-Ruiz
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  6. A. Cardenas
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  7. J. D. Abad
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Contributions

Conceptualization, PP, JDA, LDR, AC, TVR, RLM; methods and materials, LDR, ETR, TVR, JDA, and PP; formal analysis, LDR, PP, ETR, TVR; data curation, LDR, TVR, and ETR; interpretation and discussion, LDR, TVR, PP, RLM, JDA; writing—original draft preparation, LDR, TVR and JDA; review and editing, AC, PP, RLM, and ETR; visualization, LDR, TVR, and ETR; supervision, JDA, AC; project administration, JDA, TVR and AC; funding acquisition, AC, JDA, TVR. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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A. Cardenas or J. D. Abad.

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Dominguez-Ruben, L., Rojas, T.V., Petry, P. et al. Incorporating river morphodynamics in the characterization of key ecological system units for conservation in the western Amazon.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-36942-z

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Source: Ecology - nature.com

Biodiversity implications of land-intensive carbon dioxide removal

Ferula sinkiangensis (新疆阿魏, xin jiang a wei)

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