Abstract

JOSSE, C et al. Decision-making inputs for the conservation of the western amazon basin. Ecol. apl. [online]. 2013, vol.12, n.1, pp.45-65. ISSN 1726-2216.

Current economic growth models encourage natural resource-rich countries to become suppliers of raw materials for growing capital markets which severely affect conditions of large natural areas such as the western Amazon Basin, one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. The process will accelerate as this region becomes more accessible with the development of transportation infrastructure as well as the extraction of non-renewable resources. Ameliorating these pressures in order to safeguard biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides to humanity will require that decision-making processes are informed by relevant and up-to-date datasets. Here, we capitalize on newly available data for several species groups, aquatic and terrestrial ecological systems, and the distribution of threats and ecosystem services, to measure and map biodiversity state and pressure, and conservation response and benefits for sub-basins across a >2 million-km² area. This information, organized according to the Pressure-State-Response-Benefits framework, should support for decisions on conservation and sustainable development investments, and monitoring their impact over the long term.

Keywords : Andes Amazon; Amazon ecosystems; conservation planning; ecosystem services; range size rarity; threatened species; threats; unprotected ecosystems.

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