What is a Rainforest? A rainforest is a dark and dense jungle. Many plants and animals live here.
Introduction Have you ever wondered where the Amazon Rainforest was located? Well, if you have here is your answer. The Amazon Rainforest is in South America. It is the South West and North West hemispheres. The latitude and longitude range for the Amazon Rainforest is 0-15 north longitude and 45-75 west latitude. That is the reason for the Amazon being hot and humid. The countries that contain the Amazon Rainforest are Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
Things that come from the Amazon Rainforest Many products come from the Amazon. Over 5000 products come from there. 2000 of them are cancer fighting products.
Layers of the Amazon Rainforest
There are four main layers of the Amazon Rainforest. These layers are the emergent, canopy, understory, and the forest floor.
The emergent layer is at the very top of the Amazon Rainforest. The tall trees from the forest floor rise up to this layer. Many animals spend their life here and make their habitat here. Monkeys, eagles, and bats are some animals that you can find here.
The canopy is near the top and the middle of the rainforest. Monkeys swing from tree to tree through shining sunlight. If you look
at it from the top it looks like a thin and green blanket. Trees from the forest floor reach this layer and go up to the emergent layer. Snakes, toucans, tree frogs, and some monkeys live here.
The layer in the middle is the understory. This layer gets dim sunlight. It is very leafy. Many animals and plants live here. Jaguars, frogs, and leopards live in this layer. Orchids grow here, too.
The very bottom layer is the forest floor. It gets about zero sunlight. Dead plants and animals seam to decay quickly here. Giant anteaters, orchids, and many other plants and animals live here.
Here is a picture of the Climate throughout the Amazon.
This is a picture of the remaining rainforest.
Animal 1
Amazonian Manatee
The Amazonian Manatee lives in the Amazon River basin. It is also known as sea cow. The Manatee is an herbivore. Its prey is fresh water plants that grow in the Amazon River. Its flippers allow it to swim away from predators. Those predators are jaguars and caimans. The jaguar is a carnivore. In the cold or hot water of the Amazon River the manatee has blubber on its body to keep it at body temperature. So, the manatee adapts to its environment so it will not freeze. The Amazonian Manatee uses camouflage to hide from predators. Animal 2
Scarlet Macaw
The scarlet macaw is located in the canopy of the Amazon Rainforest. It has a large and hard beak and is a very colorful bird. It looks like a rainbow. This animal is a consumer. The diet of the macaw contains seeds, flowers, and fruits. The macaw is an herbivore. If a poisonous flower is in-taken by the macaw, the macaw has clay that stops poison from entering and harming the body. Large snakes sneak up on macaws and eat them.
Plants in the Amazon Rainforest
Plant 1
Giant Water Lily The giant water lily’s habitat is in the Amazon River. It floats on the top of the water.
The water lily can be up to 6 ft wide and it looks like a lily pad. It is green and circular. The prey of the giant water lily is fish. They eat the seeds. People in the rainforest use the water lily to sit on and possibly can float to other places. This plant is indigenous to the water. Plant 2
Fox Glove
The fox glove is part of foliage in the rainforest. The fox glove’s have purple leaves. The leaves hang from a stem. The fox glove is located in the Amazon Rainforest. It can be found in places that don’t get as much rain as others do. This plant gives energy to herbivores. The Fox Glove is a producer. Therefore, it doesn’t have to find its own food. This plant is used to treat heart problems and is an aid for birth control.
Tribes in the Amazon Rainforest Tribe 1
Yanomami Tribe
The Yanomami tribe is found throughout the Amazon. This tribe is nomadic. It has four sub-divisions. Each sub-division has its own language. The village has circular huts that are called shabanos. People sleep and live in here. The younger people sleep in hammocks. Each village can contain more than 300 people. Hunters in the family may hunt or fish over a wide variety of land. They tend their garden as well. Some Yanomami tribes believe that nature creates everything. They also have a strong believe in spiritual ideas. Their traditions are shaped by their beliefs. They believe that every ones fate is linked together. They think everyone should be treated equally and fairly. Their culture is mostly based on their beliefs. Tribe 2
Tikuna tribe
The Tikuna tribe has many different spellings and names for it. Another spelling for it is Ticuna. The tikuna tribe is a very religious group. They have to beliefs: mortal and immortal. Immortals do not die because they believe they go to places where life is internal. The people who belong in this group are omnivores. They hunt and eat animals of all kinds in the Amazon. The houses were large, had an oval floor plan, and a central section in which ceremonies were held. Now the houses are rectangular and have no walls. They use sticks to help make the shelter.
Conclusion Everyday 1.50 acres are destroyed in only a second. That means in one day 2160 acres are destroyed. Now ecotourism is taking place. People can tour without damaging being done. Also, a big problem happening is deforestation. People are cutting down over 100 trees a day. The Amazon contains 20% of earth’s oxygen. What if the Amazon was all cut down? You can help. Just conserve the rainforest. Help save all organism’s in this environment.
Websites •
http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/krubal/rainforest/Edit560s6/www/plants. html
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http://www.chenowith.k12.or.us/tech/subject/science/rf_animals.html
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http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/7th/7block/jungle_research/new_cards/23f/rep ort55.html
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Discovery education
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http://animalphotos.info/a/topics/animals/mammals/jaguars/
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Bing images
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http://www.crystalinks.com/yanomami.html
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http://www.everyculture.com/South-America/Ticuna-Religion-and-ExpressiveCulture.htm