Effects of deforestation and other environmental variables on floodplain fish catch in the Amazon

Abstract Floodplains comprise a complex mosaic of seasonally-flooded forests, lakes and channels that support productive fisheries. These habitats and their fish populations are increasingly threatened by a variety of human pressures, including floodplain deforestation. However, the effects of multiple human pressures on these floodplain fisheries have not been studied in the Amazon River. Here, we investigated the combined effects of forest cover, river water level, fishing effort and distance from nearest urban center on the catch of the most exploited fish taxa. Our study integrated fisheries, hydrological, geographical, and satellite land cover change data for 21 floodplain lake systems over a ten-year period. We found that an ANCOVA model explained 91% of the variation in catch (p