EcosystemThe bulk of Brazil's forest cover is found in the Amazon Basin, a mosaic of ecosystems and vegetation types including rainforests (the vast majority), seasonal forests, deciduous forests, flooded forests, and savannas. This region has experienced an exceptional extent of forest loss over the past two generations—an area almost certainly exceeding 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles), or about 15 percent of its total surface area of 4,005,082 square kilometers, has been cleared in the Amazon since 1970, when only 2.4 percent of the Amazon's forests had been lost. The increase in Amazon deforestation in the early 1970s coincided with the construction of the Trans-Amazonian Highway, which opened large forest areas to development by settlers and commercial interests. In more recent years, growing populations in the Amazon region, combined with increased viability of agricultural operations, have caused a further rise in deforestation rates. Since the close of the 1990s, deforestation rates of primary forest cover in Brazil have climbed by 35 percent.
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Dart Frog
These small colorful frogs produce toxins on the surface of their skin that is used to coat darts for blowguns by natives.
One square kilometer (247 acres) of Amazon rainforest can contain about 90,790 tonnes of living plants. The average plant biomass is estimated at 356 ± 47 tonnes per hectare.[31] To date, an estimated 438,000 species of plants of economic and social interest have been registered in the region with many more remaining to be discovered or catalogued.
Tropical rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems on earth. A four-square mile patch of rainforest contains as many as 1500 species of flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 125 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, 100 species of reptiles, 60 species of amphibians, and 150 species of butterflies. More than 50% of the world's plant and animal species inhabit the 7% of the world that is covered in rainforest.
Amazon Rainforest Products
There are many different products from the Amazon rainforest. Following are some important products and a brief explanation about them.
• Natural rubber (or latex): used to make many rubber products from electronic components to condoms. Rubber was responsible for the first economic cycle of development in the Amazon rainforest. Natural rubber is extracted from tall trees called "Seringueiras" and still today is a major activity for many families.
• Brazil-nut: the nut is actually a seed. The Brazil-nut is one of the biggest nuts of the world and is exported all over the planet. Local populations use this nutritious seed to make all sort of food and condiments;
• Guarana: is a small berry-like fruit that is very sweet and juicy. You can taste it in natural refreshments anywhere in Brazil , they are also used to make sodas. Brazilians are very fond of their guarana sodas and it's something they usually miss when living outside Brazil . Because of that you can find it in any city that has a Brazilian community like Miami , New York or Paris. People use Guarana to stay awake and active in parties and raves, since guarana has an effect similar to caffeine without the problems related to it. Nowadays some companies sell Guarana as a weigh loss substance, although its value for weight loss has not been proven.
• Açai: another fruit that has a strong taste and purple color is very nutritious and brings energy after consumption. It is used by athletes of all kinds. It hit the Brazilian market outside the Amazon region only in the nineties when professional fighters and gym-addicts start to eat Acai whenever they could. Nowadays you can find juices and ice creams of Açai anywhere in Brazil and is steadily going out to the world market.
• Many minerals like iron, manganese, uranium, bauxite, copper, gypsum, lignite, nickel and gold can be found in the Amazon rainforest region. Most of the bauxite used in the world comes from here and bauxite is the primary component of aluminum. Chances are that your aluminum soda can came from the Amazon rainforest.
• Diamonds and other less valuable gems are mined in the Amazon rainforest. These gems are obtained by river mining, most of it still using manual techniques. The gems are responsible for the great migration of people in the sixties to the Amazon rainforest searching for diamonds and gold.
• Natural rubber (or latex): used to make many rubber products from electronic components to condoms. Rubber was responsible for the first economic cycle of development in the Amazon rainforest. Natural rubber is extracted from tall trees called "Seringueiras" and still today is a major activity for many families.
• Brazil-nut: the nut is actually a seed. The Brazil-nut is one of the biggest nuts of the world and is exported all over the planet. Local populations use this nutritious seed to make all sort of food and condiments;
• Guarana: is a small berry-like fruit that is very sweet and juicy. You can taste it in natural refreshments anywhere in Brazil , they are also used to make sodas. Brazilians are very fond of their guarana sodas and it's something they usually miss when living outside Brazil . Because of that you can find it in any city that has a Brazilian community like Miami , New York or Paris. People use Guarana to stay awake and active in parties and raves, since guarana has an effect similar to caffeine without the problems related to it. Nowadays some companies sell Guarana as a weigh loss substance, although its value for weight loss has not been proven.
• Açai: another fruit that has a strong taste and purple color is very nutritious and brings energy after consumption. It is used by athletes of all kinds. It hit the Brazilian market outside the Amazon region only in the nineties when professional fighters and gym-addicts start to eat Acai whenever they could. Nowadays you can find juices and ice creams of Açai anywhere in Brazil and is steadily going out to the world market.
• Many minerals like iron, manganese, uranium, bauxite, copper, gypsum, lignite, nickel and gold can be found in the Amazon rainforest region. Most of the bauxite used in the world comes from here and bauxite is the primary component of aluminum. Chances are that your aluminum soda can came from the Amazon rainforest.
• Diamonds and other less valuable gems are mined in the Amazon rainforest. These gems are obtained by river mining, most of it still using manual techniques. The gems are responsible for the great migration of people in the sixties to the Amazon rainforest searching for diamonds and gold.
The Amazon River
The Brazilian Rain Forest has many tributaries that are fed by the Amazon Riverl