Riverine sediment response to deforestation in the Amazon basin

Abstract > 50  m wide) across the Amazon River basin. These impacts are studied using a lag-based approach to quantify the spatiotemporal relationships between observed suspended sediment and changes in land cover over time. The results show that large-scale deforestation of the Amazon during the 2001–2020 period are associated with significant changes in sediment concentration in the eastern portion of the basin. In the heavily deforested eastern regions, the hydrogeomorphic response to deforestation occurs relatively rapidly (within a year), whereas the less disturbed western areas exhibit delays of 1 to 2 years before responses are observable. Moreover, we observe that deforestation must be substantial enough to overcome the collective influences of human activities and natural sediment variations to result in a discernible impact on sediment concentration in large rivers. In 69 % of Amazonian major tributary basins with an immediate response, more than 5 % of the basin was deforested during the 2001–2020 period, while in 85 % of basins with lagged responses, less than 5 % of the land was cleared. These findings suggest severe implications for future sediment dynamics across the Amazon if deforestation is to further expand into the basin.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Riverine sediment response to deforestation in the Amazon basin ; volume:12 ; number:2 ; year:2024 ; pages:581-599 ; extent:19 ; Earth surface dynamics ; 12, Heft 2 (2024), 581-599 (gesamt 19)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Narayanan, Anuska ; Cohen, Sagy ; Gardner, John R.

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/esurf-12-581-2024
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2405020424383.395823013696
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:49 AM CEST