In Ecuador’s Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, scientists have documented a steep decline in insect-eating birds, even in forests that appear protected and intact. Are similar declines happening elsewhere? Are other species affected? And what is driving the change?
The Amazon is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, home to jaguars, monkeys, macaws, millions of insects and countless other species. Yet the people working to understand, manage and conserve the region lack timely information about how wildlife and ecosystems are changing. While biodiversity monitoring has traditionally relied on localized research projects and site-specific studies, these efforts often use different methodologies, cover limited areas and depend on short-term funding. As a result, decision-makers rarely have a complete or timely picture of wildlife trends and ecosystem health across the Amazon.
A new opportunity for biodiversity monitoring
Recent advances in technology have created new opportunities to understand nature at unprecedented scales. Earth observation systems, camera traps, bioacoustic sensors and environmental DNA (eDNA) can generate more information about ecosystems than ever before. Improved connectivity and cloud computing make it possible to collect and analyze data from even the most remote locations in near-real-time.
At the same time, advances in AI are making it possible to bring these different sources of information together. By combining satellite observations with data collected on the ground, AI can help reveal patterns, trends and changes that would be impossible to detect from any single data source alone. Meanwhile, Amazonian conservation organizations, research institutes and Indigenous and rural communities are increasingly well-positioned to lead and manage these systems.
Making biodiversity intelligence actionable
Amazon.ia is building a Pan-Amazonian biodiversity observatory and intelligence system designed to generate actionable biodiversity intelligence across the biome. The project will connect a network of monitoring sites across diverse ecosystems and combine data from satellites, camera traps, acoustic sensors and eDNA into a shared analytical framework. Rather than simply collecting more data, Amazon.ia aims to transform available information into insights that support real-world decisions — for example: