Project Amazonia: Characterization of the Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Basin represents the greatest concentration of biodiversity on Earth. Spanning 2.5 million square miles1 , or almost 30% of South America, the Amazon Rainforest is larger than any other tropical rainforest. The Amazon Basin, a modern Eden, hosts approximately 500 species of mammals1, 1600 species of birds2, one million species of insects1 and 50,000 species of plants3. Along with its vast species diversity, the Amazon is home to some 33 million people from six different countries4. This diversity and complexity creates on of the most intricate ecosystem on the planet. Interactions within the Amazon Rainforest are further complicated by the presence and activities of humans.
The Amazonian Ecosystem
The Amazonian ecosystem is noted for its stable temperatures, high rates of precipitation, and enormous biodiversity. Life forms so abundantly and rapidly in the Amazon that nutrient resources in the soil are being constantly absorbed by the surrounding life. As a result, the majority of nutrients are held within the bodies of the flora and fauna as opposed to the soil. Nutrients returned to the soil by decaying organic matter are rapidly recycled into the ecosystem.
The water and soil of the Amazon are critical to the sustenance of life within its confines. As indicated by its designation, the Amazon Rainforest enjoys enormous amounts of precipitation, frequently averaging in the range of 1700mm/year5. A year within the Amazon is usually divided into distinct dry and rainy seasons. Adaptation of the trees combined with these large rainfalls in the rainy season allow the survival of the forest during periods of drought.
An analysis of the soil, however, provides more puzzling and surprising insight into the Amazonian system. While the flourishing flora of the Amazon would suggest that the soil would be extremely rich in nutrients and very fertile, tests have proven otherwise.6 Because nutrients in the soil and decaying matter are absorbed so rapidly by the surrounding flora, the nutrient layer of the Amazon soil is extremely thin (i.e. as little as five centimeters6) and has a relatively low nutrient concentration.
The great expanse of the Amazon Rainforest hosts one of the largest distributions of species in the world. Lifetimes of research have been spent characterizing the diversity of the living creatures within the Amazon Rainforest. Explore the biotic portion of this characterization web site to learn more about the distinctions of fauna, flora, algae and fungi.
The Society of Brazil and the Amazon
Within the Amazon live many people who make their living by using the Amazon Rainforest. Besides indigenous groups that have lived in the Amazon for hundreds of years, there are farmers, miners, ranchers and loggers all using the same forest resources. In fact, an estimated 33 million people inhabit the Amazon's 2.5 million square miles.
1: http://www.pbs.org/journeyintoamazonia/enter.html
2: http://www.txdirect.net/sitc/sci-rain.htm
3: First National Report for the Convention on Biological Diversity – Brazil
4: University of New Hampshire, http://www.watsys.sr.unh.edu/rbis-unep/amazon-tpop.html
5: National Remote Sensing Agency of Brazil (INPE); data provided in 1992 by Norbert Henninger, World Resources Institute, 1709 New York Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20006.
6: Negreiros, Gustavo, Perfis de solos da Amazônia (RADAM, EMBRAPA, SUDAM e FAO), 1997
