The Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605, U.S.A.
Conserv Biol. 2011 Feb;25(1):30-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2010.01568.x. Epub 2010 Aug 23.
The tropical Andes harbor an extraordinarily varied concentration of species in a landscape under increasing pressure from human activities. Conservation of the region's native plants and animals has received considerable international attention, but the focus has been on terrestrial biota. The conservation of freshwater fauna, particularly the conservation of fishes, has not been emphasized. Tropical Andean fishes are among the most understudied vertebrates in the world. We estimate that between 400 and 600 fish species inhabit the diverse aquatic environments in the region. Nearly 40% of these species are endemic. Tropical Andean fishes are vulnerable to ongoing environmental changes related to deforestation, water withdrawals, water pollution, species introductions, and hydropower development. Additionally, their distributions and population dynamics may be affected by hydrologic alterations and warmer water temperatures associated with projected climate change. Presently, at least three species are considered extinct, some populations are endangered, and some species are likely to decline or disappear. The long-term persistence of tropical Andean fishes will depend on greater consideration of freshwater systems in regional conservation initiatives.
安第斯热带地区拥有极其多样化的物种集中，在人类活动的压力下，该地区的景观不断受到影响。该地区的本地动植物保护已引起国际社会的广泛关注，但重点一直放在陆地生物群上。淡水动物群的保护，特别是鱼类的保护，尚未得到重视。安第斯热带鱼类是世界上研究最少的脊椎动物之一。我们估计，在该地区多样化的水生环境中，有 400 到 600 种鱼类栖息。其中近 40%的物种是特有种。安第斯热带鱼类容易受到与森林砍伐、水资源提取、水污染、物种引进和水电开发等相关的持续环境变化的影响。此外，它们的分布和种群动态可能会受到与预计气候变化相关的水文变化和水温升高的影响。目前，至少有三个物种被认为已经灭绝，一些种群濒危，一些物种可能会减少或消失。安第斯热带鱼类的长期生存将取决于区域保护倡议中对淡水系统的更多考虑。
