What kinds of creatures may be found in the Amazon? And here are nine more Amazon facts.
The Amazon is a very unique environment. It is home to the world's biggest rain forest and river system, as well as the planet's most ecologically varied ecosystem. It is home to millions of species, the majority of which have yet to be named.
The Amazon's forest and freshwater systems are both under jeopardy. Rainfall has decreased in 69 percent of the Amazon jungle since the year 2000. If the present pace of deforestation continues, WWF projects that 27% of the Amazon biome would be devoid of trees by 2030. The Amazon is a difficult region to protect and conserve, but WWF has been trying to safeguard it.
1. What kinds of creatures may be found in the Amazon?
The Amazon is home to sloths, black spider monkeys, and poison dart frogs, as well as being one of Earth's final refuges for jaguars, harpy eagles, and pink river dolphins. It is home to one out of every ten known species on the planet, including 40,000 plant species, 3,000 freshwater fish species, and over 370 reptile species. Over 2,000 new plant and vertebrate species, and since 1999, a variety of monkeys, including one that purrs like a cat, have been described.
2. How many nations are covered by the Amazon?
Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana's overseas territories make up this huge region, which is almost two-thirds the size of the United States. The Amazon basin, which covers nearly 40% of South America, comprises 1.4 billion acres of thick forests, half of the world's surviving tropical forests, 4,100 miles of twisting rivers, and 2.6 million square miles.
3. What kind of birds may be found in the Amazon?
The Amazon is one of the world's most diverse bird habitats, with over a thousand distinct species such as hummingbirds, channel-billed toucans, hoatzins, and macaws. The Amazonian macaw is a highly clever and gregarious bird that lives in groups of 10 to 30 birds. They may live up to 60 years and mate for life. Some creatures are even capable of imitating human speech. However, deforestation and the illicit pet trade pose a threat to macaws.
4. What is the Amazon's significance?
The Amazon is home to more than 30 million people, including 350 indigenous and ethnic groups that rely on the natural world for food, clothing, and traditional medicine. There is also a clear link between the health of the Amazon and the health of the globe. Rain forests, which contain 90 to 140 billion metric tons of carbon, aid in climate stabilization on a local and global scale. The Amazon also pours around 7 trillion tons of water into the sky each year, with its forests recycling 50 percent to 75 percent of yearly rainfall.
5. What are the Amazon's main threats?
Deforestation from massive cattle ranching and agricultural development, poorly designed infrastructure, illicit and unsustainable natural resource extraction, and climate change are all challenges to the Amazon.
6. How is the Amazon being protected by the WWF?
For more than 40 years, the WWF has worked to protect and maintain the Amazon. Soy cultivation, cattle ranching, hydropower, illegal and unsustainable logging, and infrastructure are all drivers of deforestation, according to WWF.
7. What is the Amazon Protected Areas Initiative?
In Brazil, WWF and our partners launched a project called Project Finance for Permanence to safeguard 150 million acres of Amazon rainforest. We raised $215 million from public and private sources to build, consolidate, and manage a network of 114 protected areas. The Amazon Region Protected Areas program encompasses an area nearly three times larger than all of the United States' national parks combined.
8. How is the Amazon being affected by climate change?
Climate change poses a hazard to the water and forest networks that species rely on. Droughts of historic magnitude have resulted from warmer temperatures and less rainfall. In 2005 and 2010, the Amazon saw its worst droughts in a century. Dry periods kill crops, devastate fisheries, and cause forest fires. This can lead to dramatic changes in ecosystem composition and the extinction of species. WWF assists farmers in protecting their crops from heavy rains and droughts, as well as ensuring that neighboring species can adapt to a warming world.
9. What can you do to assist in the preservation of the Amazon?
You can help safeguard the Amazon in a variety of ways. You may inform your friends and family about the Amazon's importance. You may become a discriminating shopper by inquiring about the production of your food and other purchases, and purchasing FSC-certified items. You may lessen your reliance on fossil fuels and hence your environmental effect. You may also advocate for Amazonian people by sharing their tales and discussing environmental issues.
