1. Freshwater Ecoregions

Large river headwater ecosystems

Please note: These biome and ecoregion pages (and associated data) are no longer being updated and may now be out of date. These pages and data exist for historical reference only. For updated bioregion data, please visit One Earth.

Species, assemblages, and processes in headwater areas are distinct from those of their larger mainstems.
The Mississippi Piedmont, Guayanan highlands, Upper Amazon, Upper Paraná, Brazilian Shield, Congo Basin Piedmont harbor a tremendous array of species, including numerous endemics adapted to life in these waters. In turn, these river systems ultimately feed a number of the world's largest and richest rivers.