Aerial view of winding river in lush Amazon jungle. Aerial view of winding river in lush Amazon jungle.

Astonishing Mysteries About the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil No One is Telling You!

You must have heard of the Amazon Rainforests in Brazil. These are popularly known as the Lungs of the Earth. I explored a lot about these as they are one of the world’s largest rainforests. In fact, I recommend you visit there once as they are quite a popular tourist destination too. I am saying this because I am sure you will love the lush greenery, diverse exotic wildlife, and colorfully decorated locals. They also offer you every unimaginable piece of a typical archetypal rainforest adventure you can ever get.

But, I want you to know everything about Amazon forests before you visit there.

Let Me Start with the Recent News Updates on Amazon Rainforests

The Amazon Rainforest in Brazil
Source- Depositphotos.

Now before delving into the expanse of this incredible Amazon Rainforest ecosystem, it’s best to keep yourself informed about what’s happening in Brazil. For that, here’s a quick news update about the Amazon in Brazil that runs down its recent events to help you stay connected to today’s world.

  • Studies released by Nature Communications Earth and Environment have stated that the potential tipping factor of the Rainforest can occur due to the role of the wildfire that locks the ecosystem to rejuvenate up to 86% depending on the climate change’s strength.
  • The Columbian and Brazilian Presidents Come Together on Saturday, July 8, 2023 to Step Up the Protection of the Amazon.
  • In the first half of 2023, there has been a 34% fall in Deforestation, according to Government reports, due to the stringent environmental policies implemented by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
  • Within the four-year tenure of former President Bolsonaro, between 2019- 2022, the Brazilian Amazon was sabotaged for mining, farming, and cattle ranches, thereby losing 5 million acres of land.
  • Thousands of Indigenous peoples are flocking to the cities to pursue better education, job opportunities, etc. This departure of leaving remote forest villages has raised the concern that the world’s most enormous tropical rainforest would be unkempt and abandoned without its guardians.

Check the Geographical Study on Amazon Forests

The Amazon is one of the renowned tropical rainforests at the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries in the Northern part of South America. The land spans an area of 6,000,000 square km. Occupying 40% of the total area of Brazil, the rainforest is bound by the Guiana Highlands (North), the Andes Mountains (West), the Atlantic Ocean (East), and the Brazilian Central Plateau (South). 

Did you know the Amazon River Basin, which hosts the tropical rainforest, is considered the largest river basin across the globe? Yes, its forest stretches from the Atlantic Ocean (East) to the Ande’s Tree Line (West). The width of the forest is 320 km along the Atlantic and 1900 km width at the Andean Foothills, exactly where the lowlands meet. So, this extensive rainforest prevails due to the significant rainfall, humidity, and monotonous temperatures throughout the region.

There is one more fact I must tell you. The Amazon Rainforest shares its land with a few other countries surrounding Brazil. Some include Guyana, French Guyana, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru, Suriname, and Colombia.

Hey! Why not watch this TedX video that tells you more about the endangered biodiversity of Amazon Rainforests?

The incredible (endangered) biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest | Jorge Rodrigues | TEDxUTA

The best part is that the Amazon ecosystem has a rich biodiversity surpassing others worldwide. Interestingly, most of the Amazon Rainforest plants and animals are untouched and yet to undergo study as the place offers something new every day.

But as the Brazilian population increased, the size of the rainforest shrank considerably, especially during the years when Pres. Jair Bolsonaro took over Brazil. Amidst the destruction of this rainforest that takes over half of the total rainforests in the world, numerous measures were taken to preserve and protect this gem.

And today, under the authority of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, there has been an improvement in the levels of conservation with stringent rules against prosecutors. And under his reign, Brazil hopes to make the Amazon region reach its initial glory by 2030. 

3. Formation of the Amazon: A Historical Trail

The Amazon Rainforest in Brazil
By pxhidalgo/Depositphotos. Copyright

It is said that the rainforest in Brazil existed, since the Eocene era between 56 million years to 33.9 million years ago. Some studies state that the river flowing through the Amazon Forest initially had a westward flow or could have been a part of the proto-Congo River system from the interior of present Africa when the continents were together as part of Gondwana. 

However, the rise of the Andes after the Nazca-South American plate collision 15 million years ago and the Bazilian-Guyana bedrock shields created the vast inland sea of Amazon.

This gradually turned into an enormous freshwater swampy lake that made marine animals adapt to the freshwater. You can find 20 stingray species near relatives to those in the Pacific Ocean located in the freshwater today.

Now, these waters made their way through the sandstone to the west, making Amazon flow to the east. This resulted in the birth of the Amazon Forest, and during the Ice Age, the sea levels dropped and drained, which turned the Amazon Lake into a river.

Finally, after the exposure to the Central American isthmus, the oceans receded, allowing mammal species to migrate between America. Also, the Ice Age caused the global tropical forests to retreat.

But this phenomenon is highly debated, yet it is believed that most of the Amazon has been scattered as savanna and montane forest. The savanna separated the rainforest as patches into islands that included species with genetic differentiations.

The Amazon Rainforest - Origin and Destiny

Finally, the forests rejoined, and the species that were once together became distinct to be categorized as separate species, resulting in the addition of diversity in the Amazon at the end of the Ice Age.

Subsequently, around 600 years ago, the sea level rose to 130 meters again, inundating the river into a gigantic, long freshwater lake.  Later it was the arrival of the human population that etched the biodiversity of the Amazon, and that’s an extensive history.

I’ll Tell You the Reasons Explaining the Importance of the Amazon Rainforest

No wonder you might like to know that, in short, the Amazon Forest makes us who we are today. It’s the primary and predominant factor in climate change. But unfortunately, they are dwindling today due to deforestation and wildfires, leaving the whole world under threat! So, here’s why the rainforest is the most important and the only solution to sustain life on the planet;

1. The Abundance of Animals

Amazon rainforest animals - Discover the animals in the Amazon Forest

From mammals to reptiles, insects, birds, fishes, and amphibians, the Amazon is vital as it is home to 10% of the species worldwide, as stated by the World Wildlife Fund. And these animals are a critical source of sustenance to the forest in terms of fertilizers through their remains and food scraps. These leech into the forest floor to influx nutrients into the soil and store carbon without releasing it into the atmosphere. 

2. The Wide Plant-Life

Botany and Plant Ecology of the Amazon Rainforest

The rainforest nurtures thousands of plant species that offer food and material things. Even your favorite chocolate comes from here, along with many other ingredients that complete your favorite dish! Interestingly, latex too is extracted here and is a source of income for the indigenous communities thriving here. 

3. The Rich River in the Amazon

The Amazon Rainforest in Brazil
Source- Depositphotos

Ranked second place for the longest river in the world next to the Nile, the river flowing through the Amazon and the wetlands surrounding it offer rich biodiversity. Also, the river is home to numerous water animals and endangered species that exceed over 50% of the tree species. 

4. Carbon and Oxygen Cycles

The Amazon Rainforest in Brazil
Source- Depositphotos

Did you know? The Amazon Forest regulates the carbon and oxygen cycle of the world! It acts as a carbon sink absorbing most of the carbon dioxide from the air. This is nullified if the trees are logged, and the forests are burnt.

However, scientists say conserving its status as a carbon sink is possible if the more significant parts of the ecosystem are saved.

5. You Can Be Healed!

The Amazon Rainforest in Brazil
Source- Depositphotos

No wonder, with such a diverse variety of plants out there, it’s evident that they have medicinal properties to cure diseases. Nevertheless, most of them are yet to be discovered.

For instance, the Indigenous group Yanomamo and other tribal groups have learned how to tap medicines from plants. The knowledge is stored by a medicine man, otherwise known as the shaman, and gets transferred to the apprentice for generations. And this has become an integral part of establishing their identity.

Hence, with the rapid degradation of the rainforest, there is a threat to future generations to benefit from this knowledge. 

Should I Tell You Some Unheard Amazon Rainforest Facts?

The Amazon Rainforest in Brazil
Source- Depositphotos

With such a mighty cluster of rainforests and a chain-like river flowing in the middle, the Amazon is the king that rules the rest of the ecosystems around the world. Want to know how? Then keep reading!

  • The river that flows through Amazon is a prime factor in altering the Caribbean Sea. This is done once when the Caribbean current picks up the water from the river mouth and drains it into the Caribbean islands. And studies show that the sea level has risen 3 cm higher due to this contribution.
  • It is home to the 18-million-year-old pink river dolphin, endangered today due to human interference. These unique species thrive only in freshwater habitats and are ranked as one of the four actual river dolphins.
  • The name of the Amazon Rainforest comes from Greek mythology, referring to a group of nomadic female warriors roaming the Black Sea. And Francisco de Orellana, the first European voyager, gave this name after the battle with the Icamiabas (women without husbands) and likening them to the Greek Mythology Amazons.
  • Due to the seasonal changes, no bridges are built on the river banks of the Amazon. And boats were used for transportation instead of taking a long foot around.
  • In the denser parts of the forest, the floors are entirely black! Only a minute percent of the sunlight shafts through the lush vegetation.
  • Africa is a prime continent to keep alive the rainforest. Because the dust and fertilizing phosphorous picked up from the Sahara Desert are blown over by the Atlantic before settling on the Amazon, satellite imagery from 2015 NASA said.
  • Martin Strel was the first to complete swimming across the entire stretch of the river for 66 days, swimming 10 hours daily in 2007!
  • About 137 species are becoming extinct with the deforestation of 1.5 acres of rainforest every second.
Amazon rainforest | Ecosystems

I must say that the Amazon Rainforest is a unique ecosystem that houses the unimaginable flora and fauna you must see and experience. Also, it plays an invaluable role in sustaining life on Earth. And today, it is under three significant threats: Deforestation, Wildfire, and Global Warming. So, if you plan to take a trip out there, follow the rules, as your discipline matters a lot to save the depleting natural wonder!

Last Updated on April 30, 2024 by Pragya

Authors

Hephzibah
Pragya
  1. If you want to get to know the Amazon for real this is the right and very informative article.
    The Amazon forest in South America is the most fascinating store house of the worlds carbon kingdom, you could ever imagine.

  2. we have all heard about the Amazon forest at least once in our lives, But neither those nor the topics taught in our schools told about the forest in this much detail.
    It felt good to gather this much information on the largest forest and the problems its facing currently.
    also, the record set by Martin Strel was fascinating.

  3. It is really astonishing , I have heard about the amazon rainforest but the aspects explained in the article startled me . The concern demonstrated about deforestation is really contemplative , we all should try to stop the deforestation .

  4. You were right when you said that these facts will be new and no one will be telling us about them. I have really read most of these for the first time, especially “Martin Strel was the first to complete swimming across the entire stretch of the river for 66 days, swimming 10 hours daily in 2007!” this one.

  5. The Amazon Rainforest’s complexities, environmental challenges, and recent developments indeed make for a fascinating exploration.

  6. Get to see Amazon’s rainforest is like once in a lifetime experience and your writing in the post is so genuine that is explaining and describing the facts of rainforests of Amazon are brilliant.

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