The multiple viewpoints for the Amazon: geographic limits and meanings

Abstract

The geographic term “Amazon” describes several distinct but overlapping hydrological, geological, biological, and geopolitical entities located in northern South America (Albert et al. 2018). It is therefore useful to distinguish the Amazon as a drainage basin, a sedimentary basin, a biodiversity province, and a geopolitical unit. This report describes the multiple boundaries and definitions of the geographical area called "the Amazon".

Authors 12

1. James S. Albert

   University of Louisiana at Lafayette · University of Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biology , University of Louisiana at Lafayette , 104 E University Ave , Lafayette 70503 , Louisiana , USA

   Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2. Carina Hoorn

   University of Oxford · University of Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) , University of Amsterdam , 1090 GE Amsterdam , The Netherlands

   Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK,

3. Yadvinder Singh Malhi

   University of Oxford

   Affiliation as printed

   Environmental Change Institute , School of Geography and the Environment , University of Oxford , South Parks Road , Oxford OX1 3QY , UK,

4. Oliver Lawrence Phillips

   Universidad San Francisco de Quito · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1105 , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands

   Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Instituto Biósfera-USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Laboratorio de Ecología Acuática, campus Cumbayá, Diego de Robles s/n, Quito 170901, Ecuador

5. Andrea C. Encalada Aachen

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center · Universidad San Francisco de Quito · Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) , Instituto Biósfera-USFQ , Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA , Laboratorio de Ecología Acuática , campus Cumbayá , Diego de Robles s/n , Quito 170901 , Ecuador

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, The Netherlands; Systems Ecology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

6. Hans ter Steege Aachen

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center · University of Oxford

   Affiliation as printed

   Naturalis Biodiversity Center , Darwinweg 2 , 2333 CR Leiden , The Netherlands ; Systems Ecology ,

   Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK

7. John Michael Melack

   University of Oxford · Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry

   Affiliation as printed

   Environmental Change Institute , School of Geography and the Environment , University of Oxford , South Parks Road , Oxford OX1 3QY , UK

   Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, Jena, 07745 Germany

8. Susan Trumbore

   University of California, Los Angeles · Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry · Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies

   Affiliation as printed

   Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry , Hans-Knöll-Str. 10 , Jena , 07745 Germany

   University of California Los Angeles, USA, Luskin School of Public Policy, and Graduate Institute for International Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland

9. Susanna B. Hecht

   University of California, Los Angeles

   Affiliation as printed

   University of California Los Angeles , USA , Luskin School of Public Policy , and

10. Mariana Varese

    Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam · Wageningen University & Research · Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies

    Affiliation as printed

    Graduate Institute for International Development Studies , Geneva , Switzerland

    Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , De Boelelaan 1105 , 1081 HV Amsterdam , The Netherlands

    Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands

11. Marielos Peña‐Claros

    Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

    Affiliation as printed

    Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, departamento de ciencias sociales. Av. Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, 15088 -Perú

12. Fernando Roca

    Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú · Wageningen University & Research

    Affiliation as printed

    Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group , Wageningen University & Research , Wageningen , The Netherlands

    Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru , departamento de ciencias sociales. Av. Universitaria 1801 , San Miguel , 15088 - Perú