The Amazon Rain Forest

Jack V. – Block 1

IntroductionYou may be wondering, what is a rainforest? Well, a rainforest is the world’s oldest living ecosystem. It is a tall dense jungle with a high rainfall average per year. The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest. It is located within 5 degrees north and 25 degrees south latitude and 70 degrees west and 40 degrees west longitude, in the southwest and northwest hemispheres in South America. The countries that contain the Amazon are Brazil, French Guyana, Guyana, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela and Suriname.

ClimateThe average climate of the Amazon rainforest is 79 degrees. It is in the tropical climate zone and receives an average of 9 ft of rainfall per year. It is humid and very wet in the rainforest.

Layers of the RainforestThe layers of the rainforest are:

The emergent layer- The roof of the rainforest made up of very tall trees, it is about 200ft above the ground.

The canopy- This is the top of the forest just under the emergent layer many animals live here, snakes, toucans, tree frogs and more.

The understory- This is the middle of the forest. This layer receives little sunlight and contains very large plants and foliage. Some animals that live here are jaguars, tree frogs and leopards.

Forest floor- This is the bottom layer or the floor of the rainforest. It is very dark and contains very little plants. Giant ant eaters, insects, jaguars, and other predator cats all live here.

Animals of the AmazonThere are many animals in the rain forest here are just two of them.

Jaguar- A jaguar is a muscular predator cat with an orange pelt with black spots. They usually live near water and tall trees. Their adaptation is to blend in with their

surroundings using camouflage. Jaguars are carnivores. Their prey consists mostly of deer, sloth and tapirs. Its predators are man and occasionally other jaguars.

Squirrel monkey- A squirrel monkey is a small grey monkey with a white face and a black mouth. Their habitats are usually around along rivers and streams. It is an herbivore. Its diet consists of fruits, nuts and

bird eggs. Its predators are small cats, snakes and birds of prey. They use their tails for balance when hunting and swinging from tree to tree. Sounds fun!

Movement in the AmazonHow do people get around in the rain forest? Here are a few ways.

People walk, canoe, and make boats and roads. Mining is a big business in the rain forest. Gold, coppers diamonds and other precious minerals are mined in the rain forest. These exported all over the world.

HE InteractionsPeople’s actions don’t occur without doing any harm though. Everything people do affects the rainforest, for example:

Conservation- Conservation is the act of preserving the forest. Extracting latex from trees as well as eating fruits or plants is one way to conserve because it does not damage the rain forest.

Deforestation- Deforestation is a huge problem in the rainforest! Some of the things that contribute to deforestation are cattle ranching, cutting down trees for furniture, and burning trees.

Ecotourism- Ecotourism is tourism to ecosystems to observe the wildlife in that ecosystem. Ecotourism occurs often in the rainforest. It is a big cause of exchanging of ideas.

Plants in the AmazonAbout half of the world’s plants live in the rainforest. That’s a lot! Here are just a couple of the producers that thrive there.

Rattan Vine- A rattan vine are basically thick tangled wooden cords that hang from trees. They are indigenous to the canopy. Monkeys eat the fruit from these vines. The rattan vine is commonly used in furniture and ropes.

Cocoa Tree- A cocoa tree is a tall thin tree growing large brown fruits. They are very picky about where they live. They can only live with consistent warmth, rain and shade. Its predators are people of course! Long ago the cocoa tree was used to treat anxiety, fever and fatigue. Now it’s used to make chocolate!

Food Web

This is only a tiny chunk of the organisms that live in the Amazon rainforest. In fact about 50% of animals in the world live in the world. That’s almost 30 million plant and animal species! Decomposers, consumers and producers all rely on each other for balance. Producers that live in the rainforest are an especially interesting subject. They use photosynthesis to make food for themselves. They never have to eat a bite!

Tribes of the rainforestYanomami-The Yanomami is a society of hunter agriculturalists. Their population is 26,000. They live around the Orinoco River in a large donut shaped structures called shabanos. These shabanos are home to at least 80-350 people. The shabanos are split into subgroups for different families. The Yanomami’s territory is about the same size as Australia! That’s a lot of land! The word Yanomami means people, man

or species. Agriculture is mostly a male activity. This includes chopping down trees and burning them. This is another big cause of deforestation. Both Men and women plant and harvest crops such as corn and cotton. Hunting and fishing is another male activity in the Yanomami. Something’s women do are carry the goods and make alcohol for the men. The Yanomami often consume tobacco and yopo at ceremonial rituals. The Yanomami eat the fruit from trees and

nuts.

Ticuna-The Ticuna are a very neat tribe. Their village is split up into neat sections for different families and classes of people. They are currently fighting for what’s left of their culture. Over the many years of this tribes existence its people and culture has become more westernized due to the trading of ideas in the rainforest. They preserve their culture with ceremonies and rituals. They plant and eat

pineapples and bananas. They also use the wood from trees to build canoes to go fishing. The Ticuna are a nomadic tribe in the Amazon and

they are often referred to as the wandering Ticuna.

Tribes are an important part of the rainforest. They remind people of old

culture and why the rainforest should be preserved.

Conclusion

The Amazon Rainforest is truly an interesting subject. All kinds of

animals; Carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores all make up the huge population of the rainforest. The rainforest is an important part of all of our lives. If it is destroyed then we will lose half of the plant and animal species in the world and more importantly one of the most interesting ecosystems in existence. So you have a choice. Do what you think is right. But this isn’t the last time you’ll hear about the rainforest, and hopefully the next time you here about the rainforest it will be good news.

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