Life In The Amazon River Basin!!

Hello today am going to talk about life in the Amazon River basin, which also happens to be a lesson in Geography .


First of all where is Amazon basin located?

It lies in the tropical zone ,on both sides of the Equator, up to 15 degrees North and South Latitudes. This region is also known as Amazonia. It is the largest river basin in the world. Amazon river basin is divided into rainforests, grasslands and Savannas. It includes areas of Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and a small part of Venezuela. The river Amazon and its tributaries bring large quantities of materials from the mountains and deposit them in the Amazon river basin.

Is'nt it interesting to know more about this place?

The Amazon river basin has tropical climate. Hot and Wet climate persists throughout the year. The days and nights are usually very hot and humid. It rains almost every day. This area receives heavy rainfall. This result in the formation of dense forests. These forests are called rainforests. Interesting fact is that this region experiences heavy rainfall almost everyday in the afternoon, which is called 4' o clock rain.

The trees of the rainforests are tall and have hardwood and broad leaves. The branches and leaves form some type of roof over the forest which makes the sunlight reaching the forest floor difficult. This makes the ground dark and damp. Only plants which can survive shade can live here.

Orchids are common here. Moses and Ferns spread on the ground. Climbers grow on tall tree trunks. The biggest Amazonian tree is the Kapok tree which can grow upto 200 feet tall. Selva is another name for these evergreen forests. The main hardwood trees are ebony, Mahogany and Rosewood. Quinine a remedy for Malaria is prepared from the bark of the Cinchona tree.
Fibre, rubber, nuts resins and gum are some other forest products.

Like Flora, Amazon river basin is rich in Fauna. Different habitats like dense forests, swamps and rivers provide shelter to different species of wildlife. Toucans, humming birds and different types of parrots are found here. Tree dwelling animals like monkeys and sloths are found here. Tapirs, anteaters and armadillos live here. Reptiles such as alligators, turtles, Iguanas and snakes thrive here. Crocodiles, snakes and pythons are found in large numbers. Anaconda the largest snake in the world (around 10 m long), is also found here. Boa constrictors live in the swamps. Different species of frogs and insects are also found here. The flesh eating Piranha fishes re found here. Is it not a rich variety of Life?

The forest areas are inhabited by tribal people , They depend on agriculture, fishing, hunting and gathering. They cut small areas of forests to grow their crops.

Tapioca, sweet potato and pineapple are cultivated here. Cassava or Manioc is a staple food here. Coffee, Maize and cocoa are some of the cash crops grown here. Rubber plantations are also seen here. Iron ore, copper, manganese and bauxite are found in some regions leading to Mining activities.

Shifting agriculture is practised here. In this process vegetation of an area is cut down and burned. This helps to make the soil fertile. Crops are cultivated here for a few years. then the soil becomes infertile . Then they move to another patch of forest for cultivation. within a few years the abandoned land becomes fertile again by the growth of vegetation. Wood is abundant here and people make bee- hive shaped thatched wooden houses. Houses like Maloca are constructed here and are characterized by steep and slanting roofs.

In olden days people used to navigate on Amazon river only to reach the rainforests. These days they can be travel by helicopters and aircrafts to reach most parts of the rainforest. The Trans-Amazonian Highway, the only major highway which connects the Atlantic port of Recife to Peru. Manas, in Brazil is one of the biggest cities in the Amazon Basin. It is a major rubber collecting centre and a riverine port. The city also has an International airport.

Finally due to migration , the diverse rainforests are getting gradually destructed. Due to developmental activities large areas have been disappearing in the Amazon Basin annually. Destruction of forests washes away the fertile top soil during rains, changing the lush forest into a barren landscape.

Thus ends the topic -Life in the Amazon River Basin. Hope you enjoyed reading. I hope to visit this place one day.

See you soon.
By
SOHAN KAMATH A 
Grade 6D
Orchids The International School Vivekananda.

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