The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical
Rainforest in the world, covering over five and a half a million square
kilometers and is being the home for many wildlife creatures. It is a home for
almost one – third of all species. The Amazon
Basin is the planet’s greatest reserve of all the life forms. It is home for
many species which are not found any where are not found any where else in the
world. Although exact numbers are not known, the basin may contain up to one
million plant species. Over 20% of the earth’s oxygen is produced here itself. The
Amazon is made up of a mosaic of ecosystems and vegetation types including
Rainforests, seasonal forests, deciduous forests. The Amazon forest stretches
from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the tree line of the Andes in the west.
History
The Amazon Rainforest has been continuously inhabited
for at least 10.000 years and even more.
The forest area was formed during the
Eocene era after temperatures had dropped around the world as the Atlantic
Ocean had widened, paving the way for a warm and wet climate. The earliest
inhabitants in this area were stone – age peoples living in hundreds of far –
flung tribes, some tiny, others numbering in the tens of thousands. It was from
the west that Europeans explorers first arrived. According to the scientists the
Amazon Rainforest was created millions of years ago when the Amazon River
changed direction from west to east. This forest has a history of at least 55
million years old. After the extinction
of the dinosaurs the climate got even wetter and the rainforest grew as far
south as the 45 – degree latitude. The Amazon River itself was discovered by a
Spanish explore and conquistador.
Location
The Amazon Rainforest which is also known as
the Amazon Jungle is located in South America in an area known as the Amazon
River Basin. It covers an area of 7 million square kilometers. The forest
covers several countries out of which Brazil, and Peru hold the largest portion
of this Rainforest. The smaller portions exist in countries like Venezuela,
Colombia, French Guiana, Ecuador, Bolivia Guyana and Suriname. Amazon Rainforest
is located in the upper section of Brazil south of Equator. The Amazon river is
located 2 to 4 degrees south of the Equator. Because of this temperature around
this is humid and wet.
Wildlife in Rainforest Amazon
The Amazon Rainforest is the largest home for
wildlife. Here we can find tiny insects to huge predators, it is a vast and
interconnected web of life. And there are all
naturally provided facilities to all type of species to survive. It is
home for 60% of the wildlife species which is about one tenth of the world’s
species. Till now we can find at least 40,000 plant species which make the
Rainforest looks like huge monster green covered on the land. It contains 427
mammals species including familiar forest mammals such as raccoons, bats, mice,
deer and otter iconic rain forest
mammals such as jaguars, spider monkeys, black howler monkeys, anteaters also
has strange and unique mammals such as capybara, freshwater dolphin, tapirs,
peccaries, sloths and agouti. It comprises huge bird life about 1,300 birds
species like harpy eagle, toucan and hoatzin and many more 378 reptiles species
like boa and it also contains more than
400 amphibians like dart poison frog and many others. With around 3,000
freshwater fishes including the piranha have been found in the Amazon itself.
People and Communities
More than 30 million people including 350
indigenous and ethnic groups. Live in the Amazon Forest area and these people
depend on the natural resources that are available in abundant amount for
agriculture, clothing and traditional medicines. Most live in large urban centers, but all
residents depend on the Amazon’s natural bounty for food, shelter and
livelihoods. However we can find thousands of distinct ethnic groups with their
own distinctive language and culture that even remain today in tropical rainforests
around the worl. Most of the tribal people don’t ever go to school kike
us. Indeed they learn about the forest
of the tribal people
More than 30 million people, including 350
indigenous and ethnic groups,live in the Amazon Forest area and these people
depend on the natural resources that are available in abundant amount for agriculture,
clothing and traditional medicines. Most live in large urban centers, but all
residents depend on the Amazon’s natural bounty for food, shelter and
livelihoods. However we can find thousands of distinct ethnic groups with their
own distinctive language and culture that even remain today in tropical
Rainforests around the world. Most of
the tribal people don’t ever go to school like us. Indeed they learn about the
forest areas from their ancestors and few people in their communities. They learn
about hunting fishing and they also learn about the medicines available in those forest
areas and how it must be used.
Destruction of Amazon
Destruction of the Amazon Rainforest has increased almost
about one third in the past year, reversing a decade – long trend of better
protection for the world’s greatest Rainforest. Till now in this Rainforest the
destruction cleared the area larger than 200 football fields. The worst year in
which most of the destruction of the forest area took place is 2004 about
27,000 square kilometers of forest was destroyed. The increase in deforestation
was largely caused by the expansion of farming areas and the development of infrastructure
projects.
Highlights
Travel to Amazon Rainforest offers the
opportunity to breathe in some of the purest air on the planet and see some of
the world’s most amazing birds and animals. We can have a look from the bullet
ants to tarantulas, jaguars to capybaras, piranhas to giant river otters,
capuchins to howler monkeys and much more. This is a must visit place by
everyone in his life time and can have best memories in his life spending in
this adventures Wildlife Houses and cottages are also available for tourists
near the forest area.