The Amazon rainforest is a 1.4 billion acre of forest land in the Amazon basin of South America, which is almost half the total area under the tropical rainforest in the world today. Undoubtedly the most flourishing biodiversity spots on the planet, the Amazon rainforest is home to as many as 90 percent of the plant species and the animal species in the world. This rainforest spans across nine South American nations, among which Brazil constitutes the major share with 60 percent. Other than being the largest, the Amazon rainforest also boasts of being the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest. All these Amazon rainforest facts may make you believe that everything is well and good in this region, however, a look at the deforestation in the Amazon facts, and any person who is worried about the nature is bound to be engulfed with mixed emotions of anger and sorrow.
Deforestation in the Amazon
Even though deforestation is a phenomenon common to forests throughout the world, the rate at which it is occurring in the Amazon Basin is indeed a matter of concern. In Brazil alone, 450,237 miles of forest has been cleared to make way for various human activities, including farming and settlement. Environmentalists fear that if the deforestation continues at this rate, half of the Amazon rainforest will be lost within next two decades. This will, in turn, have drastic effects on the biodiversity of this region. Other than the loss of numerous Amazon rainforest plants, the deforestation will also result in loss of habitat for numerous animal species endemic to this region, and eventually drive them to extinction.
Causes of Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest
Human settlement and development of the land are the two main reasons for deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The fact that nobody was allowed to venture into the deep forest of the Amazon basin before the 1960s made sure that the rich tracts of this rainforest remained intact all this while. After colonization, however, things changed drastically. As human settlements began to flourish, the region was subjected to large-scale agricultural activities. The fact that the soil in Amazon Basin doesn't retain fertility for long periods made the farmers practice slash and burn method of agriculture. This was a big blow to this biodiversity spot, as human encroachment upon the forest land increased in a bid to use more land and increase agricultural production.
The government incentive programs to promote agriculture also added to the woes of the Amazon rainforest. Similarly, logging in the denser regions of the forests resulted in construction of new roads, which gave people direct access to the otherwise untouched areas of the rainforest. All these factors did help in strengthening the agricultural economy of the South American nations, but led to severe depletion of forest cover in this region. In Brazil, which constitutes a total of 60 percent of the rainforest, the sudden boost of soybean production tempted the farmers to go for the same at the cost of the Amazon rainforest. As agriculture developed, this tropical forests biome was also cleared to make way for human settlement inside the rainforest.
The need of the hour is to find solutions to deforestation in the Amazon, and ensure that there is a strict implementation of the same. In order to curb deforestation in the region, the administration has to come up with concrete wildlife conservation measures, like creation of protected areas, and taking strict action against those indulging in illegal clearance of the forest. With one-fifth of the forest cover already lost in the last five decades, it won't take much time to clear off the entire region. If we don't put in any efforts soon, we will lose the Amazon rainforest within the next century, and the numerous endangered rainforest animals and plants species endemic to this region will become extinct.
By Abhijit Naik
Published: 6/28/2010
Article 2: THE AMAZON BASIN: Amazing Facts and Figures
The Amazon basin has the most developed rainforest of anywhere in the world. Over two-thirds of all the fresh water on earth is found within the Amazon basin and over 20% of the earth’s oxygen is produced there. Although exact numbers are not known, the basin may contain up to one million plant species. The Amazon basin is drained by the Amazon River and its thousands of tributaries. The basin covers an area of approximately 2.5 million square miles (650 million hectares) which is approximately 40% of South America. If superimposed on the United States, it would cover nearly all of the contiguous 48 states! The headwaters of the Amazon River are in the Andes Mountains of Peru and a mere 120 miles (190 km) from the Pacific Ocean. From there the River stretches eastward for approximately 4,000 miles (6,400 km) until if finally empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Belém in Brazil. Over this 4,000-mile length no bridge crosses the Amazon. There are approximately 1,100 tributaries that service the main river, seventeen of which are over 1,000 miles (1600 kilometers) long; the Río Negro is the most dominant tributary. The tributaries vary in color from cloudy yellow, to clear black depending on the soil and vegetative environment of the area they are flowing from. Seasonal flooding brings soil and minerals from the mountains to the flood plains along the river, enriching the nutrient poor soil. The water level in the Amazon River can fluctuate by as much as 40 feet (12 m). The lowest levels occur in the months of August to September, and the highest levels occur in April and May. When the water is at its high point the River can be as wide as 300 miles (560 km), and at this time up to 500 billion cubic feet (14 billion m3) of water surge out to sea per day. Imagine… this is enough to sustain New York City’s fresh water supply for nine years! The River’s deepest point occurs near the Atlantic Ocean where its depth is about 121 feet (37 m). The flow of the effluent into the Atlantic is so strong, that the waters of the Amazon River do not even begin to mix with the ocean water until the water has flowed 125 miles (230 km) into the Atlantic. This incredible force is generated purely by the sheer volume of water that flows, not by a seep gradient; indeed, the gradient from 2300 miles (3700 km) inland to where the Amazon meets the ocean would be barely enough to drain a bathtub! Interestingly, millions of years ago the Amazon used to flow westward toward the Pacific Ocean. This was when South America, Antarctica, Africa, Australia and India were one big continent known as Gondwanaland. As the continental plates shifted, South America broke away, moved westward and collided with the Pacific Ocean plate. This collision gave rise to the Andes Mountains; subsequently the flow of the Amazon water was blocked and a vast inland lake was formed. Later geological forces caused a breach in the east, and in what must have been a cataclysmic event, the vast lake rushed into the Atlantic Ocean and as it did, created the river we now call the Amazon. The Amazon is teeming with life. It is a birders paradise containing more species than any other ecosystem, and there are more than 4,000 species of butterflies. The lush forests of the Amazon basin are home to reptiles, amphibians, primates, tapirs, capybaras, even jaguars. The river itself contains freshwater dolphins, manatee and more than 2,000 species of fish which incidentally is more species than has been recorded for the entire Atlantic Ocean! The climate in the Amazon is consistent with daytime temperatures ranging from the mid to upper 80’s and falling to the low 70’s in the night. Rain falls approximately 250 days of the year. While many areas have distinct rainy and dry seasons, others do not. Even the high water level is not necessarily dependent on rainfall during the rainy season, but on other factors such as the rate of evaporation and transpiration of plants. There are about 100 inches (250 centimeters) of rainfall per year in the Amazon with the forest creating about half of its own rainfall. This intricate water cycle has helped to create the diversity of life found in the Amazon basin and has sustained its existence for millions of years. It remains to be seen what devastating impact the human intervention of deforestation will have on this cycle.
Reliable sources: Article 1
The Amazon rainforest is a 1.4 billion acre of forest land in the Amazon basin of South America, which is almost half the total area under the tropical rainforest in the world today. Undoubtedly the most flourishing biodiversity spots on the planet, the Amazon rainforest is home to as many as 90 percent of the plant species and the animal species in the world. This rainforest spans across nine South American nations, among which Brazil constitutes the major share with 60 percent. Other than being the largest, the Amazon rainforest also boasts of being the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest. All these Amazon rainforest facts may make you believe that everything is well and good in this region, however, a look at the deforestation in the Amazon facts, and any person who is worried about the nature is bound to be engulfed with mixed emotions of anger and sorrow.
Deforestation in the Amazon
Even though deforestation is a phenomenon common to forests throughout the world, the rate at which it is occurring in the Amazon Basin is indeed a matter of concern. In Brazil alone, 450,237 miles of forest has been cleared to make way for various human activities, including farming and settlement. Environmentalists fear that if the deforestation continues at this rate, half of the Amazon rainforest will be lost within next two decades. This will, in turn, have drastic effects on the biodiversity of this region. Other than the loss of numerous Amazon rainforest plants, the deforestation will also result in loss of habitat for numerous animal species endemic to this region, and eventually drive them to extinction.
Causes of Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest
Human settlement and development of the land are the two main reasons for deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The fact that nobody was allowed to venture into the deep forest of the Amazon basin before the 1960s made sure that the rich tracts of this rainforest remained intact all this while. After colonization, however, things changed drastically. As human settlements began to flourish, the region was subjected to large-scale agricultural activities. The fact that the soil in Amazon Basin doesn't retain fertility for long periods made the farmers practice slash and burn method of agriculture. This was a big blow to this biodiversity spot, as human encroachment upon the forest land increased in a bid to use more land and increase agricultural production.
The government incentive programs to promote agriculture also added to the woes of the Amazon rainforest. Similarly, logging in the denser regions of the forests resulted in construction of new roads, which gave people direct access to the otherwise untouched areas of the rainforest. All these factors did help in strengthening the agricultural economy of the South American nations, but led to severe depletion of forest cover in this region. In Brazil, which constitutes a total of 60 percent of the rainforest, the sudden boost of soybean production tempted the farmers to go for the same at the cost of the Amazon rainforest. As agriculture developed, this tropical forests biome was also cleared to make way for human settlement inside the rainforest.
The need of the hour is to find solutions to deforestation in the Amazon, and ensure that there is a strict implementation of the same. In order to curb deforestation in the region, the administration has to come up with concrete wildlife conservation measures, like creation of protected areas, and taking strict action against those indulging in illegal clearance of the forest. With one-fifth of the forest cover already lost in the last five decades, it won't take much time to clear off the entire region. If we don't put in any efforts soon, we will lose the Amazon rainforest within the next century, and the numerous endangered rainforest animals and plants species endemic to this region will become extinct.
By Abhijit Naik
Published: 6/28/2010
Article 2:
THE AMAZON BASIN: Amazing Facts and Figures
The Amazon basin has the most developed rainforest of anywhere in the world. Over two-thirds of all the fresh water on earth is found within the Amazon basin and over 20% of the earth’s oxygen is produced there. Although exact numbers are not known, the basin may contain up to one million plant species. The Amazon basin is drained by the Amazon River and its thousands of tributaries. The basin covers an area of approximately 2.5 million square miles (650 million hectares) which is approximately 40% of South America. If superimposed on the United States, it would cover nearly all of the contiguous 48 states!
The headwaters of the Amazon River are in the Andes Mountains of Peru and a mere 120 miles (190 km) from the Pacific Ocean. From there the River stretches eastward for approximately 4,000 miles (6,400 km) until if finally empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Belém in Brazil. Over this 4,000-mile length no bridge crosses the Amazon. There are approximately 1,100 tributaries that service the main river, seventeen of which are over 1,000 miles (1600 kilometers) long; the Río Negro is the most dominant tributary.
The tributaries vary in color from cloudy yellow, to clear black depending on the soil and vegetative environment of the area they are flowing from. Seasonal flooding brings soil and minerals from the mountains to the flood plains along the river, enriching the nutrient poor soil. The water level in the Amazon River can fluctuate by as much as 40 feet (12 m). The lowest levels occur in the months of August to September, and the highest levels occur in April and May. When the water is at its high point the River can be as wide as 300 miles (560 km), and at this time up to 500 billion cubic feet (14 billion m3) of water surge out to sea per day. Imagine… this is enough to sustain New York City’s fresh water supply for nine years!
The River’s deepest point occurs near the Atlantic Ocean where its depth is about 121 feet (37 m). The flow of the effluent into the Atlantic is so strong, that the waters of the Amazon River do not even begin to mix with the ocean water until the water has flowed 125 miles (230 km) into the Atlantic. This incredible force is generated purely by the sheer volume of water that flows, not by a seep gradient; indeed, the gradient from 2300 miles (3700 km) inland to where the Amazon meets the ocean would be barely enough to drain a bathtub!
Interestingly, millions of years ago the Amazon used to flow westward toward the Pacific Ocean. This was when South America, Antarctica, Africa, Australia and India were one big continent known as Gondwanaland. As the continental plates shifted, South America broke away, moved westward and collided with the Pacific Ocean plate. This collision gave rise to the Andes Mountains; subsequently the flow of the Amazon water was blocked and a vast inland lake was formed. Later geological forces caused a breach in the east, and in what must have been a cataclysmic event, the vast lake rushed into the Atlantic Ocean and as it did, created the river we now call the Amazon.
The Amazon is teeming with life. It is a birders paradise containing more species than any other ecosystem, and there are more than 4,000 species of butterflies. The lush forests of the Amazon basin are home to reptiles, amphibians, primates, tapirs, capybaras, even jaguars. The river itself contains freshwater dolphins, manatee and more than 2,000 species of fish which incidentally is more species than has been recorded for the entire Atlantic Ocean!
The climate in the Amazon is consistent with daytime temperatures ranging from the mid to upper 80’s and falling to the low 70’s in the night. Rain falls approximately 250 days of the year. While many areas have distinct rainy and dry seasons, others do not. Even the high water level is not necessarily dependent on rainfall during the rainy season, but on other factors such as the rate of evaporation and transpiration of plants. There are about 100 inches (250 centimeters) of rainfall per year in the Amazon with the forest creating about half of its own rainfall. This intricate water cycle has helped to create the diversity of life found in the Amazon basin and has sustained its existence for millions of years. It remains to be seen what devastating impact the human intervention of deforestation will have on this cycle.