Draft:Amazon Rainforest

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The Amazon Rainforest and Basin from a satellite view.

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Save the rainforests!

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Watch that carbon footprint!

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The Amazon rainforest is Earth’s largest rainforest with an area of over 5.5 million km², located within South America. 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.

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

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. In fact, the trees are able to produce rain on their own.

Wildlife

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

Ancient civilizations

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

Exploration

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. Pizarro was already known for bringing the Inca empire to its knees, and he also would explore the Amazon.

Civilizations and culture

Uncontacted tribes

A Peruvian sign warning about tribes.

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. There have been several calls to protect these tribes from either exploitation, or missionaries trying to convert them to Christianity.

Exploitation

Slowly, gradually, and painfully, like a cancer.

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

Potential consequences

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. 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.

Along comes Bolsonaro

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.