Low level of anthropization linked to harsh vertebrate biodiversity declines in Amazonia

Isabel Cantera, Opale Coutant (), Céline Jézéquel, Jean-Baptiste Decotte, Tony Dejean, Amaia Iribar, Régis Vigouroux, Alice Valentini, Jérôme Murienne and Sébastien Brosse
Additional contact information
Isabel Cantera: Université Paul Sabatier
Opale Coutant: Université Paul Sabatier
Céline Jézéquel: Université Paul Sabatier
Jean-Baptiste Decotte: VIGILIFE, 17 rue du Lac Saint-André Savoie Technolac—BP 274
Tony Dejean: VIGILIFE, 17 rue du Lac Saint-André Savoie Technolac—BP 274
Amaia Iribar: Université Paul Sabatier
Régis Vigouroux: HYDRECO, Laboratoire Environnement de Petit Saut, B.P 823
Alice Valentini: VIGILIFE, 17 rue du Lac Saint-André Savoie Technolac—BP 274
Jérôme Murienne: Université Paul Sabatier
Sébastien Brosse: Université Paul Sabatier

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Assessing the impact of human activity on ecosystems often links local biodiversity to disturbances measured within the same locality. However, remote disturbances may also affect local biodiversity. Here, we used environmental DNA metabarcoding to evaluate the relationships between vertebrate biodiversity (fish and mammals) and disturbance intensity in two Amazonian rivers. Measurements of anthropic disturbance -here forest cover losses- were made from the immediate vicinity of the biodiversity sampling sites to up to 90 km upstream. The findings suggest that anthropization had a spatially extended impact on biodiversity. Forest cover losses of 22% in taxonomic and functional richness of both terrestrial and aquatic fauna. This underscores the vulnerability of Amazonian biodiversity even to low anthropization levels. The similar responses of aquatic and terrestrial fauna to remote disturbances indicate the need for cross-ecosystem conservation plans that consider the spatially extended effects of anthropization.

Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-30842-2

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30842-2

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