The Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon Rainforest covers more than 5.5 million square kilometers of South America. It goes through nine different countries, Brazil, French Guyana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, Brazil being the most prominent.

Many different things are collected from the Rainforests. Plant products such as rubber, Brazil-nuts, guarana, and different types of medicines are among these. Many different minerals are collected as well, such as iron, nickel, gold, copper, and diamond. Fishing and hunting also provide food.

The Amazon Rainforest is an ecosystem, that is, a place where animals interact with their environment. Plants produce their own food, animals feed on these plants, other animals feed on these animals, then micro-organisms feed on these animals when they die. The remains are then brought back into the soil, creating a circle of life so to speak. Removing just one part of this circle can cause a devasting effect upon the environment. This makes it very important to not disturb this balance.

In the Amazon Rainforest, many different plants and animals are appearing that have never been seen before, giving researchers something to look forward to and to appreciate. As of now, there are between 5,000,000 and 30,000,000 different varieties of plants, yet more different varieties show up everyday. These plants represent 10% of the world's of all the plants around the world. 324 different species of mammals have been spotted and 3,000 different varieties of fish.

Amazon forest resources have been destroyed on a large scale and have been majorly exploited. The transfer of forest areas have switched hands all too often. These areas are then transformed into pastures and areas are cleared, cutting many of the trees down and driving many of the animals from their homes, thankfully, these areas are decreasing in number and have become very small. Wood exploitation has been on the rise though. It is own of the main activities in the Amazon and has caused major damage. The operations are done so that they alter the forest in many different places, causing much more destruction to the environment. Hydroelectric power-stations are a major cause of destruction too. These change the landscape. Animals are moved and get confused. They head into areas that are already populated and balanced and wreak the balance that exists there. This causes fights for food and habitat, creating a major disturbance in the balance of that area.

Like all of the Forests, we must do what we can to help protect them and the creatures that thrive within them. Whether it be the Amazon or any of the many other rainforests, they all still share one beautiful and important thing. Life.

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