Draft:Amazon Rainforest

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The Amazon Rainforest and Basin from a satellite view.
A buncha tree-huggers
Environmentalism
Wigoworld.svg
Save the rainforests!
Watch that carbon footprint!

The Amazon rainforest[note 1] is Earth’s largest rainforest with an area of over 5.5 million km2, located within South America.[note 2] The Amazon got its name from Spanish conquistador, Francisco de Orellana, who named the river after a fight with native tribes, believing the females were the Amazon women of Greek Mythology.[1]

The Rainforest itself has a deep historical and cultural record, and is currently the subject to concerns involving tribal rights, environmentalism and deforestation contributing to climate change.

Ecology[edit]

The Amazon rainforest is home to over 3 million species, and its over 2,500 tree species are responsible for 1/3 of tropical trees in the world.[2] In fact, the trees are able to produce rain on their own. [3]

Wildlife[edit]

The wildlife of the Amazon are completely unique and endemic to the rainforest. Innumerable species range, from ants and tetras to monkeys and parrots. Many species were discovered during expeditions to the region, as its isolated position and its massive size previously prevented species discoveries.

History[edit]

Ancient civilizations[edit]

While data is limited, there is growing evidence of older civilizations that could have existed within the rainforest.[4] Some of these systems have sophisticated roads and social systems in place.[5]

Exploration[edit]

The Amazon was explored mainly in the attempts to find gold and land for empires. Francisco de Orella was already mentioned, but another explorer of the rainforest was another conquistador, Francisco Pizarro.[6] Pizarro was already known for bringing the Inca empire to its knees, and he also would explore the Amazon.

Civilizations and culture[edit]

Uncontacted tribes[edit]

A Peruvian sign warning about tribes.[note 3]

The Amazon, and South America in general, is one of the largest spots for tribes that remain isolated from society, and even then, they are slowly being driven to extinction. They are usually either killed by cattle ranchers in land disputes, or from diseases that they have no protection from.[7] There have been several calls to protect these tribes from either exploitation, or missionaries trying to convert them to Christianity.

Exploitation[edit]

Slowly, gradually, and painfully, like a cancer.

With the inevitable nature of population growth and industrialization, the Amazon has been subjected to mass deforestation,[8] which has been mainly fueled in order to deal with cattle farming.[9] The destruction has put over 1 million species under the threat of extinction.[2][10] At one point, the deforestation went up to the point where the 390 billion trees are being less absorbent of CO2 [11]

Potential consequences[edit]

Given the current rates of deforestation, the Amazon could lose up to 20% of its trees. When temperatures increase by 4°C, it could lead to parts of the rainforest becoming barren.[10] There's not only the loss of trees, but this could likely accelerate. With the trees being unable to produce moisture, the forests become dry and start wildfires. And with more trees destroyed, there are more fires destroying trees.[3][12]

Along comes Bolsonaro[edit]

In spite of the demands to end deforestation, Brazil’s former President, Jair Bolsonaro, has escalated the process to the point of blackened skies from massive wildfires. He even went so far as to blame natives for causing the fires.[13]

Gallery[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. Not Jeff Bezos
  2. More specifically, it covers Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, the Guyanas, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
  3. Translation: WARNING
    Transit zone of isolated natives
    Avoid conflicts
    • DO NOT try to contact them
    • DO NOT offer them clothes, food, tools nor anything else
    • DO NOT try to take a picture of them (they could mistake your camera for a weapon)
    • In case of encounter, inform the Ministry of Culture

References[edit]

  1. Biography of Francisco de Orellana, Discoverer of the Amazon River by Christopher Minster, July 28th, 2019, ThoughtCo
  2. 2.0 2.1 Biodiversity and the Amazon Rainforest by Ashley Thomson, May 22, 2020, Greenpeace
  3. 3.0 3.1 EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION ON THE AMAZON Amazon Aid Foundation
  4. Soil and Satellites Are Telling a New Story About Ancient Civilizations in the Amazon by Katarina Zimmer, March 20, 2018, Atlas Obscura
  5. [1] by Laura Geggel, December 9, 2020, Live Science
  6. Exploration Of The Amazon Rainforest: A Brief History May 13, 2015, Rainforest Cruises
  7. The Uncontacted Indians of Brazil Survival International
  8. AMAZON DESTRUCTION by Rhett A. Butler, November 23, 2021, Mongaby
  9. British supermarkets accused over destruction of Amazon rainforest by David Adam, 31 May, 2009, The Guardian
  10. 10.0 10.1 The Amazon Rainforest is nearly gone by Matt Sandy, Time
  11. Amazon rainforest ability to soak up carbon dioxide is falling by Eli Kintisch, 18 March, 2015, Science
  12. Study: How years of wildfires have devastated the Amazon by Kiley Price, September 1, 2021, Conservation.org
  13. Bolsonaro denies Brazil is burning, blames Indigenous People for fires in disturbing speech at UNGA by Katie Nelson, September 22, 2020, Greenpeace