List of freshwater ecoregions of Latin America and the Caribbean

This is a list of freshwater ecoregions in Latin America and the Caribbean, as identified by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The WWF divides the Earth's land surface into ecoregions, defined as "large area[s] of land or water containing a distinct assemblage of natural communities and species". Ecoregions are grouped into complexes and bioregions, defined as, "a complex of ecoregions that share a similar biogeographic history, and thus often have strong affinities at higher taxonomic levels (e.g. genera, families)." The Earth's land surface is divided into eight biogeographic realms. Latin America corresponds, roughly, to the Neotropical realm, although northern Mexico lies within the Nearctic.

Each ecoregion is also classified into major habitat types, or biomes.

Many consider this classification to be quite decisive, and some propose these as stable borders for bioregional democracy initiatives.

By complex

Baja California Complex

Colorado River Complex

  • Colorado Delta (Mexico)
  • Sonoran (Mexico)

Sinaloan Coastal Complex

  • Sinaloan Coastal (Mexico)

Rio Bravo Complex

  • Río Bravo (Mexico, United States)
  • Pecos (United States)
  • Guzman (Mexico, United States)
  • Mapimí (Mexico)
  • Cuatro Ciénegas (Mexico)
  • Llanos El Salado (Mexico)
  • Conchos (Mexico)
  • Lower Rio Bravo (Mexico)
  • Rio San Juan (Mexico)
  • Rio Salado (Mexico)

Lerma/Santiago Complex

  • Santiago (Mexico)
  • Chapala (Mexico)
  • Lerma (Mexico)
  • Rio Verde Headwaters (Mexico)
  • Manantlan/Ameca (Mexico)

Rio Panuco Complex

  • Rio Panuco (Mexico)

Balsas Complex

Pacific Central Complex

Atlantic Central Complex

  • Southern Veracruz (Mexico)
  • Belizean Lowlands (Belize, Guatemala, Mexico)
  • Central American Caribbean Lowlands (Honduras, Nicaragua)
  • Talamancan Highlands (Costa Rica, Panama)
  • Catemaco (Mexico)
  • Coatzacoalcos (Mexico)
  • Grijalva-Usumacinta (Guatemala, Mexico)
  • Yucatán (Mexico)
  • Guatemalan Highlands (Guatemala)
  • Central American Karst Highlands (Belize, Guatemala)
  • Honduran/Nicaraguan Highlands (Honduras, Nicaragua)
  • Lake Nicaragua (Costa Rica, Nicaragua)

Isthmus Atlantic Complex

  • Isthmus Atlantic (Panama)

Isthmus Pacific Complex

  • Isthmus Pacific (Costa Rica, Panama)

Bahama Archipelago Complex

Western Insular Caribbean Complex

Eastern Insular Caribbean Complex

Choco Complex

South American Caribbean Complex

  • Magdalena (Colombia)
  • Momposina Depression-Rio Cesar (Colombia)
  • Cienega Grande de Santa Marta (Colombia)
  • Guajira Desert (Colombia, Venezuela)
  • Maracaibo Basin (Venezuela)

High Andean Complex

  • Páramos (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela)
  • Peru High Andean Complex (Bolivia, Peru)
  • Bolivian High Andean Complex (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile)
  • Arid Puna (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru)
  • Subandean Pampas (Argentina, Bolivia)
  • South Andean Yungas (Argentina, Bolivia)

Inter-Andean Dry Valleys Complex

  • Inter-Andean Dry Valleys (Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru)

North Andean Montane Complex

  • North Andean Montane (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela)
  • Humid Andean Yungas (Bolivia, Peru)
  • Chuquisaca and Tarija Yungas (Bolivia)
  • Salta and Tucuman Yungas (Argentina)
  • Sierra de Córdoba (Argentina)

Puyango-Tumbes Complex

  • Puyango-Tumbes (Ecuador, Peru)

Atacama/Sechura Complex

  • Atacama/Sechura Deserts (Chile, Peru)

Pacific Coastal Desert Complex

  • Pacific Coastal Deserts (Peru, Chile)

Lake Titicaca/Poopo Complex

Galápagos Complex

Mediterranean Chile Complex

  • North Mediterranean Chile (Chile)
  • South Mediterranean Chile (Chile)

Juan Fernández Islands Complex

Southern Chile Complex

  • Valdivian (Chile)
  • Chiloe Island (Chile)
  • Chonos Archipelago (Chile)
  • Magallanes/Ultima Esperanza (Chile)

Subantarctic Complex

Venezuelan Coast/Trinidad Complex

Llanos Complex

  • Llanos (Colombia, Venezuela)

Guiana/Orinoco Complex

Amazon Complex

  • Amazon Delta (Brazil)
  • Amazon Main Channel (Brazil, Peru)
  • Northern Amazon Shield Tributaries (Brazil)
  • Rio Negro (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela)
  • Upper Amazon Piedmont (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru)
  • Western Amazon Lowlands (Bolivia, Brazil, Peru)
  • Central Brazilian Shield Tributaries (Bolivia, Brazil)
  • Tocantins-Araguaia (Brazil)

Northeast Atlantic Complex

Mata-Atlantica Complex

  • Northeast Mata-Atlantica (Brazil)
  • East Mata-Atlantica (Brazil)
  • Southeast Mata-Atlantica (Brazil)

São Francisco Complex

Upper Parana Complex

  • Upper Parana (Brazil)

Beni Complex

  • Beni (Bolivia)

Paraguay-Parana Complex

Southern Atlantic Complex

  • Jacui Highlands (Brazil, Uruguay)
  • Lagoa dos Patos Coastal Plain (Brazil, Uruguay)

Chaco Complex

  • Chaco (Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay)

Pampas Complex

  • Parana-Platense Basin (Argentina)
  • Rio Salado and Arroyo Vallimanca Basin (Argentina)
  • Northwest Pampas Basins (Argentina)
  • Pampas Coastal Plains (Argentina)
  • Southwest Pampas Basins (Argentina)

Patagonia Complex

  • Rio Colorado (Argentina)
  • Rio Limay-Neuquen-Rio Negro (Argentina)
  • Meseta Somuncura (Argentina)
  • Rio Chubut-Rio Chico (Argentina)
  • Rio Deseado (Argentina)
  • Rio Santa Cruz-Rio Chico (Argentina)
  • Rio Coyle (Argentina)
  • Rio Gallegos (Argentina)
  • Tierra del Fuego-Rio Grande (Argentina, Chile)

By major habitat type

Large rivers

  • Amazon Main Channel (Brazil, Peru)
  • Río Bravo (Mexico, United States)
  • Central Brazilian Shield Tributaries (Bolivia, Brazil)
  • Eastern Morichal (Venezuela)
  • Guiana Watershed (Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela)
  • Lower Rio Bravo (Mexico)
  • Rio Negro (Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela)
  • Northern Amazon Shield Tributaries (Brazil)
  • Upper Parana (Brazil)
  • Lower Parana (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay)
  • Tocantins-Araguaia (Brazil)
  • Southern Orinoco (Venezuela)
  • Upper Amazon Piedmont (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru)
  • Western Amazon Lowlands (Bolivia, Brazil, Peru)

Large river deltas

Montane rivers and streams

  • Bolivian High Andean Complex (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile)
  • Chuquisaca and Tarija Yungas (Bolivia)
  • Humid Andean Yungas (Bolivia, Peru)
  • Inter-Andean Dry Valleys (Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru)
  • North Andean Montane (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela)
  • Peru High Andean Complex (Bolivia, Peru)
  • Salta and Tucuman Yungas (Argentina)
  • Sierra de Córdoba (Argentina)
  • South Andean Yungas (Argentina, Bolivia)
  • Talamancan Highlands (Costa Rica, Panama)

Wet-Region rivers and streams

Xeric-Region rivers and streams

  • Atacama/Sechura Deserts (Chile, Peru)
  • Baja California (Mexico)
  • Caatinga (Brazil)
  • Chapala (Mexico)
  • Conchos (Mexico)
  • Galápagos (Ecuador)
  • Guajira Desert (Colombia, Venezuela)
  • North Mediterranean Chile (Chile)
  • Northeast Mata-Atlantica (Brazil)
  • Pacific Coastal Deserts (Peru, Chile)
  • Pecos (United States)
  • Rio Salado (Mexico)
  • Rio San Juan (Mexico)
  • Sonoran (Mexico)
  • South Mediterranean Chile (Chile)
  • Rio Verde Headwaters (Mexico)

Xeric-Region endorheic (closed) basins

Flooded grasslands and savannas

Cold streams, bogs, swamps, and mires

Large lakes

References

  • Olson, D., Dinerstein, E., Canevari, P., Davidson, I., Castro, G., Morisset, V., Abell, R., and Toledo, E.; eds. (1998). Freshwater biodiversity of Latin America and the Caribbean: A conservation assessment. Biodiversity Support Program, Washington, D.C..
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