Water Resources eAtlas
 

SA01 Amazon
Watersheds of South America
     

 

 

 

Land Cover and Use Variables
  
Percent Forest Cover: 73.4
Percent Grassland, Savanna and Shrubland: 10.2
Percent Wetlands: 8.3
Percent Cropland: 14.1
Percent Irrigated Cropland: 0.1
Percent Dryland Area: 6.0
Percent Urban and Industrial Area: 0.6
Percent Loss of Original Forest Cover: 13.2

 
 
 

Basin Indicators
  
Basin Area (sq. km.): 6,145,186
Average Population Density (people per sq. km.): 4
Number of Large Cities (>100,000 people): 16
Water Supply per Person (1995) (m3/person/year): 273,767
Degree of river fragmentation: Medium
Number of Dams (>15m high) in Basin: 8
Number of Dams (>150m high) in Basin: 1
Number of Dams (>60m high) under Construction: 0
Number of Dams (>15m high) on Main Stem of River: 0
Number of Dams (>150m high) on Main Stem of River: 0

 
 
 

Biodiversity Information and Indicators
  
Number of Fish Species: 3000
Number of Fish Endemics: 1800
Number of Amphibian Species: -
Number of Ramsar Sites: 7
Number of Wetland-Dependent IBAs: -
Number of Endemic Bird Areas: 24
Percent Protected Area: 7.0

The Amazon manatee (Trichechus inunguis) is the only manatee that lives exclusively in freshwater. They are vulnerable to extinction, mainly from illegal hunting. The Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) is also found in this basin. This species is the largest of all river dolphins and considered vulnerable to extinction by IUCN. Hydrologic development in the basin poses the major threat to the species.
 

 

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