The Brazilian Amazon biome currently has 477 species at risk of extinction. Of these, 218 are fauna species and 259 are flora species native to the region, threatened by human interference with nature. Researchers stress the need for more frequent updates to this list, which today includes animals such as the jaguar, harpy eagle, Amazonian manatee, the monkey sauim-de-coleira (pied tamarin), and the Ararajuba bird (golden parakeet), as well as some trees species like Brazilian mahogany, rosewood, and Brazil nut tree. This tool is crucial for guiding public policies that help minimize further losses and monitor human actions such as deforestation, pollution, and fires, among other threats that add to the impacts of climate change that heavily affect ecosystems.
The data on the threats to Amazonian species come from research led by two initiatives. In respect to the fauna, there is the Sistema de Avaliação do Risco de Extinção da Biodiversidade (SALVE) [Extinction Risk Assessment System] conducted by the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) [Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation]. The flora, on the other had, is studied by the Centro Nacional de Conservação da Flora (CNCFlora) [National Center for Plant Conservation], associated with the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro [Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden].
Both initiatives adopt the extinction threat categories established by the União Internacional para a Conservação da Natureza e dos Recursos Naturais (UICN) [International Union for Conservation of Nature]: vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered—the most severe category. These numbers are based on the total species assessed for extinction risk from the pool of known species in each Brazilian biome.
In the Amazon, SALVE has assessed 6,719 animal species to identify 218 endangered ones, with data updated in 2024: 135 animals are classified as vulnerable, 50 as endangered, and 33 as critically endangered, totaling about 3% of the assessed species.
The CNCFlora studied 1,625 species, of which 85 were classified as vulnerable, 148 as endangered, and 26 as critically endangered. These data, from the latest update in 2022, were systematized by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The numbers correspond to nearly 16% of the studied species.
Threats
Biologist Ana Prudente, PhD in Zoology and researcher at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi [Emílio Goeldi Paraense Museum], explains that the extinction process of species is a natural part of the evolutionary history of living beings. "It occurs when there is the complete disappearance of a particular organism. On Earth, there have been major extinction cycles, and we are currently undergoing the sixth one. What is happening now is that the human species is significantly accelerating this extinction," she clarifies.
The zoologist identifies the main drivers responsible for this process: "Agriculture, deforestation, irregular land occupation, grazing, introduction of exotic species into environments where they did not previously exist, and climate changes that are largely due to anthropogenic actions, that is, human activities. All of this leads to habitat loss and a faster extinction process. Today, the Amazon is facing these pressures, a phenomenon reflected in the increasing number of species that are at some level of risk," she adds.
The specialist points out that the risks to fauna are more pronounced in areas where there is greater loss of vegetation cover, known as the " Arco do Desmatamento da Amazônia” [Arc of Deforestation in the Amazon]. This area spans 500,000 square kilometers, starting in the west of Maranhão, extends through the east and south of Pará and Mato Grosso, until reaching the western part of the region in Rondônia and Acre.
Ana Prudente emphasizes that there are species highly sensitive to environmental changes, making them more vulnerable. "For example, amphibians, which include frogs, toads, and tree frogs, are part of a group that suffers greatly from climate change because they need specific environments to reproduce and live. Therefore, they are considered environmental indicators," the researcher explains. She also highlights endemism, referring to species that are found only in a specific region and nowhere else in the world.
One example is a lizard she has studied, belonging to the Stenocercus dumerilii species, classified as vulnerable. "This small lizard is endemic to Pará and Maranhão. Endemic species deserve researchers' attention regarding their conservation status because if the areas where these animals live are destroyed, they will simply exist no more," she warns.
Species may disappear without having been studied
Samuel Gomides, a biologist and PhD in Zoology, and a collaborating professor in the Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade da Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (Ufopa) [Biodiversity Graduate Program at the Federal University of Western Pará], emphasizes the risks faced by endemic species. "In the area near Manaus (AM), for example, there are the sapo-manauara and the sauim-de-coleira (pied tamarin) (a species of monkey). These are extremely sensitive animals to environmental changes living in areas with significant loss of natural habitat. If nothing is done to halt these losses, these species will soon be extinct," he laments.
According to the researcher, the number of threatened species has increased in recent years due to the loss of forests. He highlights that there are species likely to disappear without ever having been documented by scientists. "There is still a great deal of richness in the Amazonian forests, campinaranas, and floodplains that needs to be studied and assessed by science. There are neither sufficient resources nor professionals to explore the vastness of the Brazilian Amazon, and there are also security concerns. The numerous deaths of environmentalists serve as a stark reminder. Studying, understanding, and preserving the Amazon is both costly and unsafe" he assesses.
Mammals are responsible for various functions, such as seed dispersal; amphibians control invertebrate populations and are good indicators of water quality; and bird species also control invertebrate populations and spread seeds. Together, these species help maintain environmental balance.”
Problems extend beyond animal deaths
Samuel Gomides asserts that threats such as deforestation, mining, fires, illegal hunting, and contamination of freshwater sources exacerbate the impacts of climate change. Climate disruption makes fruit production more difficult, harming animals that feed on them and, consequently, larger carnivorous animals as well. "Many fish may die or face reproductive difficulties, creating a cascading effect throughout the forest, which functions as a complex mechanism. When parts are lost, this engine starts to malfunction, and the entire forest can be compromised. This is very serious," he warns.
The loss of biodiversity may trigger severe consequences, disrupting the ecological functions performed by each organism. "The Amazon rainforest is highly diverse with complex ecological relationships among the species it harbors. These threats to wildlife undermine animal populations, their individual roles, and the ecosystem services provided by these organisms. Therefore, the problem extends beyond the number of animal deaths," points out the Professor.
He provides examples: mammals are responsible for various functions, such as seed dispersal; amphibians control invertebrate populations and are good indicators of water quality; and bird species also control invertebrate populations and spread seeds. Together, these species help maintain environmental balance. "For this reason, documenting animal mortality can help highlight potential ecosystem impacts," Gomides emphasizes.
Threatened species lists need updating
The evaluation and documentation work conducted by ICMBio and CNCFlora is supported by researchers from various other institutions in the country, such as the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG) [Emílio Goeldi Paraense Museum]. Ana Prudente explains that the research institution in Pará was responsible for compiling the first list of threatened fauna species in the state. However, this list has not been updated for several years, which is not advisable.
"These lists need to be continuously updated because these threat factors and changes occur every year. We see deforestation rates accelerating over time. That is why these lists are so important, as they guide public policies," says the researcher.
In addition to having contributed to the compilation of the fauna list, MPEG is involved in updating the list of threatened flora in the state, in collaboration with the Instituto de Desenvolvimento Florestal e da Biodiversidade do Estado do Pará (Ideflor-Bio) [Forest and Biodiversity Development Institute of the State of Pará]. The last list was published in 2008, when there were 53 plant species at risk. The new list is expected to be released by October.
269 species under analysis
According to Anna Ilkiu-Borges, PhD in Natural Sciences, researcher at the Coordenação de Botânica do Museu Goeldi [Botanical Coordination of the Goeldi Museum], and leader of the initiative, the aim is to reassess the 53 species on the outdated list, as well as those on the national list, to obtain a detailed overview of the current stage of Amazonian flora in the state of Pará. "After a taxonomic review process, we have narrowed it down to 269 species that are currently being analyzed, following the CNCFlora methodology," reports the botanist.
She explains that the list will be used for the development of conservation public policies, the creation of management plans, and the identification of priority areas. "It is essential to know which species need to be protected, which species are being used on a large scale by the population, and to adopt action plans to ensure their preservation. This may involve guiding selective logging or supporting sustainable extraction practices in communities," she outlines.
Unity
For Professor Samuel Gomides from Ufopa, preventing extinction processes necessarily involves mitigating climate change by combating deforestation, fires, and implementing global environmental agreements.
"In the coming years, we will face a critical moment for the survival of the Amazon rainforest. We need joint effort from the population, government sectors, scientists, and society as a whole, recognizing the importance of balancing development and the environment as the only way to reverse this potentially tragic future." he asserts.
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIP
The production of Liberal Amazon is one of the initiatives of the Technical Cooperation Agreement between the Liberal Group and the Federal University of Pará. The articles involving research from UFPA are revised by professionals from the academy. The translation of the content is also provided by the agreement, through the research project ET-Multi: Translation Studies: multifaces and multisemiotics.
