south america amazon rainforest. the world’s rainforests rainforests cover 7% of the earth’s...
TRANSCRIPT
South America
Amazon Rainforest
The World’s Rainforests
• Rainforests cover 7% of the Earth’s land surface.
• The world’s tropical rainforests are home to over 50% of the world’s plants and animals.
• The last remaining rainforests could be gone in less than 40 years…
The Amazon River
• Begins in the Peruvian Andes and flows over 4,000 miles east to the Atlantic Ocean
• Widest river in the world
• Empties 55 million gallons of water per second into the Atlantic – 8 trillion gallons per day
• Contains 20% of the world’s fresh water
The Rainforest
• Amazon rainforest covers 2/5 (40%) of the continent and is located in parts of 9 countries.– Covers over half of Brazil
• It is thought to be the oldest rainforest in the world– Roughly 100 million years
old.
• Scientists believe over half of the world’s species of plants and animals live in this rainforest– Although the rainforest
only covers 2% of the earth’s surface.
Layers of the Rainforest
• Emergent Layer: – Tallest trees; 100-240 feet tall
• Upper Canopy: – 60-130 feet tall trees– Canopy = dense top of trees
in the Rainforest
• Lower canopy: – 60 foot tall trees, trunks of
taller trees; little air movement, total shade
• Forest floor: – Completely shaded; few
bushes or shrubs grow there; less than 1% of light reaches forest floor
“The Lungs of our Planet”
• More than 20% of the world’s oxygen is produced in the Amazon rainforest!
• The “lungs of the earth”. . . Because convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Who lives there?
• People:– It is estimated that five hundred
years ago there were over 2,000 indigenous tribes living in the Amazon
• A population totaling over 7 million.
– Today, there are less than 400 tribes and about 1.5 million people left.
– Indigenous populations depend on the rainforest in order to maintain their traditional way of life.
• Food, clothing, shelter, spiritual life.
What lives there?
• Animals:– The Amazon rainforest is
home to diverse amounts of animals:
• 2.5 million insect species
• Over 2,000 mammal and bird species.
• Plants:– The Amazon rainforest has
the highest diversity of plant species in the world.
– Over 300,000 species of plants have been identified,
• Scientists believe there are over 20,000 yet to be identified!
What’s happening to the Rainforest?
• Deforestation (cutting down the trees) caused by clear-cutting, commercial logging, and harmful agricultural practices are destroying the world’s rainforests.
– Why cut down the rainforest?• additional land for housing• agriculture (slash and burn)• cattle ranches• roads• new settlements• mining.
• One and a half acres of rainforest are destroyed every second! – That’s 2 football fields!
• An estimated 137 plant, animal, and insect species are lost every day to deforestation!
• 3 results of Deforestation– Reduced soil fertilization– Mudslides and ozone depletion– Loss of habitat for birds and animals
Why is the Rainforest important?
• Over 3000 fruits come from the rainforest!
• One-fifth of the world’s oxygen is produced there! (20%)
• Currently, 121 prescription drugs come from plants found in the rainforest!
• Provides resources to be sold . . . Brazil nuts, cocoa, rubber, timber
What is being done to save the rainforest?
• Conservation groups are working to preserve current forest land and restore destroyed forest land.
– Brazil is currently playing an active role in preventing further deforestation.
• Government has created laws to control the amount of the rainforest cut down.
• Trying to find ways to use the rainforest resources without cutting it down.
– Restoration (the process of rebuilding a rainforest) involves planting wide varieties (diversity) of plants in a
devastated area.
How can we help save the Rainforest?
• Use less paper!
• Use less gasoline and plastic!– In other words… RECYCLE!
• Raise money to protect an acre of rainforest!
• Educate yourself and others about the importance of the rainforests!
Summarizing Activity
• List 3 reasons why the Amazon is being destroyed.
• List 2 reasons why the Amazon is important.
• What negative effect does deforestation have on the environment?