The Amazon River begins in the Andes Mountains at the west of the basin with its main tributary the Marañón River and Apurimac River in Peru. The highest point in the watershed of the Amazon is the second biggest peak of Yerupajá at 6,635 metres (21,768 ft).
The Amazon River Basin occupies the entire central and eastern area of South America, lying to the east of the Andes mountain range and extending from the Guyana Plateau in the north to the Brazilian Plateau in the south.
The Amazon system transports the largest volume of water of any river system, accounting for about 20% of the total water carried to the oceans by rivers. Some of the Amazon rainforests are deforested because of an increase in cattle ranches and soybean fields. The Amazon basin formerly flowed west to the Pacific Ocean until the Andes formed, causing the basin to flow eastward towards the Atlantic Ocean.[6]
Plant growth is quite dense and its variety of animal inhabitants is comparatively high due to the heavy rainfall and the dense and extensive evergreen and coniferous forests. Little sunlight reaches the ground due to the dense roof of canopy by plants. The ground remains dark and damp and only shade-tolerant vegetation will grow here. Orchids and bromeliads exploit trees and other plants to get closer to the sunlight. They grow hanging onto the branches or tree trunks with aerial roots, not as parasites but as epiphytes. Species of tropical trees native to the Amazon include Brazil nut, rubber tree and Assai palm.[9][10]
About 1,500 bird species inhabit the Amazon basin.[11] The biodiversity of the Amazon and the sheer number of diverse bird species is given by the number of different bird families that reside in these humid forests. An example of such would be the cotinga family, to which the Guianan cock-of-the-rock belong. Birds such as toucans, and hummingbirds are also found here. Macaws are famous for duck gathering by the hundreds along the clay cliffs of the Amazon River. In the western Amazon hundreds of macaws and other parrots descend to exposed river banks to consume clay on an almost daily basis,[12] the exception being rainy days.[13]
Many reptile species are illegally collected and exported for the international pet trade. Live animals are the fourth largest commodity in the smuggling industry after drugs, diamonds and weapons.[14]
Amphibians
More than 1,500 species of amphibians swim and are found in the Amazon. Unlike temperate frogs which are mostly limited to habitats near the water, tropical frogs are most abundant in the trees and relatively few are found near bodies of water on the forest floor. The reason for this occurrence is quite simple: frogs must always keep their skin moist since almost half of their respiration is carried out through their skin. The high humidity of the rainforest and frequent rainstorms gives tropical frogs infinitely more freedom to move into the trees and escape the many predators of rainforest waters. The differences between temperate and tropical frogs extend beyond their habitat.
Fish
About 2500 fish species are known from the Amazon basin and it is estimated that more than 1,000 additional undescribed species exist.[15] This is more than any other river basin on Earth, and Amazonia is the center of diversity for Neotropical fishes.[16] About 45% (more than 1,000 species) of the known Amazonian fish species are endemic to the basin.[17] The remarkable species richness can in part be explained by the large differences between the various parts of the Amazon basin, resulting in many fish species that are endemic to small regions. For example, fauna in clearwater rivers differs from fauna in white and blackwater rivers, fauna in slow moving sections show distinct differences compared to that in rapids, fauna in small streams differ from that in major rivers, and fauna in shallow sections show distinct differences compared to that in deep parts.[18][19][20] By far the most diverse orders in the Amazon are Characiformes (43% of total fish species in the Amazon) and Siluriformes (39%), but other groups with many species include Cichlidae (6%) and Gymnotiformes (3%).[15]
In addition to major differences in behavior and ecology, Amazonian fish vary extensively in form and size. The largest, the arapaima and piraiba can reach 3 m (9.8 ft) or more in length and up to 200 kg (440 lb) in weight, making them some of the largest strict freshwater fish in the world.[21][22] The bull shark and common sawfish, which have been recorded far up the Amazon, may reach even greater sizes, but they are euryhaline and often seen in marine waters.[23][24] In contrast to the giants, there are Amazonian fish from several families that are less than 2 cm (0.8 in) long. The smallest are likely the Leptophilypnion sleeper gobies, which do not surpass 1 cm (0.4 in) and are among the smallest fish in the world.[25]
Several cavefish species in the genus Phreatobius are found in the Amazon, as is the cave-dwelling Astroblepus pholeter in the far western part of the basin (Andean region).[27] The Tocantins basin, arguably not part of the Amazon basin, has several other cavefish species.[27] The deeper part of the major Amazonian rivers are always dark and a few species have adaptions similar to cavefish (reduced pigment and eyes). Among these are the knifefish Compsaraia and Orthosternarchus, some Cetopsis whale catfish (especially C. oliveirai), some Xyliphius and Micromyzon banjo catfish,[28] and the loricariid catfish Loricaria spinulifera, L. pumila, Peckoltia pankimpuju, Panaque bathyphilus and Panaqolus nix (these five also occur in "normal" forms of shallower waters).[29][30][31] The perhaps most unusual habitat used by Amazonian fish is land. The splash tetra is famous for laying its eggs on plants above water, keeping them moist by continuously splashing on them,[32] the South American lungfish can survive underground in a mucous cocoon during the dry season,[33] some small rivulid killifish can jump over land between water sources (sometimes moving relatively long distances, even uphill) and may deliberately jump onto land to escape aquatic predators,[34][35] and an undescribed species of worm-like Phreatobius catfish lives in waterlogged leaf litter near (not in) streams.[36][37]
Some of the major fish groups of the Amazon basin include:[26]
More than 90% of the animal species in the Amazon are insects,[38] of which about 40% are beetles (Coleoptera constituting almost 25% of all known types of animal life-forms.)[39][40][41]
The Amazon River basin has a low-water season (known popularly as summer), and a wet season (known popularly as winter) during which, the rivers flood the adjacent, low-lying forests. The climate of the basin is generally hot and humid. In some areas, however, the summer months (June–September) can bring cold snaps, fueled by Antarctic winds traveling along the adjacent mountain range. The average annual temperature is around 25-degree and 28
degree Celsius with little to no distinction between summer and winter season.
Human lifestyle
Amazonia is scarcely populated. There are scattered settlements inland, but most of the population lives in a few larger cities on the banks of the Amazon and other major rivers, such as in Iquitos – Loreto in Peru, Manaus-Amazonas State, and Belém, Pará. In many regions, the forest has been cleared for soya beanplantations and ranching (the most extensive non-forest use of the land); some of the inhabitants harvest wild rubberlatex, and Brazilian nuts. This is a form of extractive farms, where the trees are not cut down. These are relatively sustainable operations in contrast to lumbering or agriculture dependent on clearing the rainforest. The people live in thatched houses shaped liked beehives. They also build apartment-like houses called "Maloca", with a steeply slanting roof.
Languages
The most widely spoken languages in the Amazon are Portuguese and Spanish. There are hundreds of native languages still spoken in the Amazon, most of which are critically endangered.
Indigenous peoples
Many tribal groups live in the Amazon Basin, often in relative isolation. It is estimated 400 or more tribal groups have lived in the Amazon Basin for hundreds of years with their own culture, language, and lifestyle. Today total population of Amazon basin is 1.5 million distributed. There are an estimated 100 uncontacted tribal groups.
The largest organization fighting for the indigenous peoples in this area is COICA. It is a supra organization encompassing all indigenous rights organizations working in the Amazon basin area, and covers the people living in several countries.
River commerce
The river is the principal path of transportation for people and produce in the regions, with transport ranging from balsa rafts and dugout canoes to hand built wooden river craft and modern steel hulled craft.
Agriculture
Seasonal floods excavate and redistribute nutrient-rich silt onto beaches and islands, enabling dry-season riverside agriculture of rice, beans, and corn on the river's shoreline without the addition of fertilizer, with additional slash and burn agriculture on higher floodplains. Fishing provides additional food year-round, and free-range chickens need little or no food beyond what they can forage locally. Charcoal made largely from forest and shoreline deadfall is produced for use in urban areas. Exploitation of bushmeat, particularly deer and turtles is common.
Extensive deforestation, particularly in Brazil, is leading to the extinction of known and unknown species, reducing biological diversity and adversely impacting soil, water, and air quality. A final part of the deforestation process is the large-scale production of charcoal for industrial processes such as steel manufacturing. Soils within the region are generally shallow and cannot be used for more than a few seasons without the addition of imported fertilizers and chemicals.
Global ecological role / Function for climate change
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2023)
"Over past 20 years (2021), the Brazilian Amazon emitted 13% more CO2 than it absorbed".[42][43]
"Amazon biodiversity also plays a critical role as part of global systems, influencing the global carbon cycle and thus climate change, as well as hemispheric hydrological systems, serving as an important anchor for South American climate and rainfall. It also produces 20% oxygen of the Earth."[44]
^ abcJunk, W.J.; M.G.M. Soares; P.B. Bayley (2007), "Freshwater fishes of the Amazon River Basin: their biodiversity, fisheries, and habitats", Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management, 10 (2): 153–173, doi:10.1080/14634980701351023, S2CID83788515
^Mendonça, F. P., W. E. Magnusson, J. Zuanon and C. M. Taylor. (2005) Relationships between habitat characteristics and fish assemblages in small streams of Central Amazonia. Copeia 2005(4): 751–764
^Duncan, W.P.; and Fernandes, M.N. (2010). Physicochemical characterization of the white, black, and clearwater rivers of the Amazon Basin and its implications on the distribution of freshwater stingrays (Chondrichthyes, Potamotrygonidae). PanamJAS 5(3): 454–464.
^Roberts, T.R. (2013). "Leptophilypnion, a new genus with two new species of tiny central Amazonian gobioid fishes (Teleostei, Eleotridae)". Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology. 19 (2): 85–98.
^ abvan der Sleen P, Albert JS, eds. (2017). Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas. Princeton University Press. ISBN978-0691170749.
^ abRomero, Aldemaro, ed. (2001). The Biology of Hypogean Fishes. Developments in environmental biology of fishes. Vol. 21. ISBN978-1402000768.
^Fenolio, Danté (2016). Life in the Dark: Illuminating Biodiversity in the Shadowy Haunts of Planet Earth. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN978-1421418636.
^Lujan, Nathan. K.; Chamon, Carine. C. (2008). "Two new species of Loricariidae (Teleostei: Silurifomes) from main channels of the upper and middle Amazon Basin, with discussion of deep water specialization in loricariids". Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. 19: 271–282.
^Henderson, P.A.; I. Walker (1990). "Spatial organization and population density of the fish community of the litter banks within a central Amazonian blackwater stream". Journal of Fish Biology. 37 (3): 401–411. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1990.tb05871.x.
^Rosenzweig, Michael L. (1995). Species Diversity in Space and Time. Cambridge University Press. ISBN978-0-521-49952-1.
^Hunt, T.; Bergsten, J.; Levkanicova, Z.; Papadopoulou, A.; John, O. St.; Wild, R.; Hammond, P. M.; Ahrens, D.; Balke, M.; Caterino, M. S.; Gomez-Zurita, J.; Ribera, I.; Barraclough, T. G.; Bocakova, M.; Bocak, L.; Vogler, A. P.; et al. (2007). "A Comprehensive Phylogeny of Beetles Reveals the Evolutionary Origins of a Superradiation". Science. 318 (5858): 1913–1916. Bibcode:2007Sci...318.1913H. doi:10.1126/science.1146954. PMID18096805. S2CID19392955.
Herndon and Gibbon Lieutenants United States Navy—An except from the book The First North American Explorers of the Amazon Valley, by historian Normand E. Klare. Actual reports from the explorers are compared with present Amazon basin conditions.
«Історія міст і сіл Української РСР» Автор П. Т. Тронько (гол. редактор)Назва мовою оригіналу Історія міст і сіл Української РСРКраїна Українська РСР, СРСРМова українськаТема Міста України і Села УкраїниЖанр ЕнциклопедіяВидавництво URE Історія міст і сіл Українс
American politician Charles Franklin SpragueMember of the U.S. House of Representativesfrom Massachusetts's 11th districtIn officeMarch 4, 1897 – March 3, 1901Preceded byWilliam F. DraperSucceeded bySamuel L. PowersMember of theMassachusetts State SenateIn officeJanuary 1895 - January 1897Preceded byFrancis William Kittredge[1]Succeeded byJoshua Bennett Holden[2]ConstituencyNinth Suffolk DistrictMember of the Massachusetts House of RepresentativesIn office1891-18...
Ейко Ісіокаяп. 石岡瑛子Дата народження 12 липня 1938(1938-07-12)[1][2][…]Місце народження Токіо-сітіd, ЯпоніяДата смерті 21 січня 2012(2012-01-21)[4][3][…] (73 роки)Місце смерті Токіо-сітіd, Токіо, ЯпоніяГромадянство Японія[6]Alma mater Токійський університет мистецтв, Ochanomizu ...
Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada.Este aviso fue puesto el 15 de diciembre de 2017. Grupos de Respuesta Especial para el Crimen Organizado Emblema de los Grupos de Respuesta Especial para el Crimen Organizado (GRECO)País EspañaFidelidad EspañaRama/s Policía NacionalFunción Lucha contra las mafias, el crimen organizado y el tráfico de drogasEspecialización Policía Judicial[editar datos en Wikidata] Los Grup...
Christoph Ernst Luthardt Christoph Ernst Luthardt (* 22. März 1823 in Maroldsweisach, Unterfranken, Bayern; † 21. September 1902 in Leipzig) war ein deutscher lutherischer Theologe. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Familie 3 Werke 4 Literatur 5 Weblinks 6 Einzelnachweise Leben Luthardt war Sohn eines königlich-bayerischen Zolleinnehmers in Maroldsweisach. Der Versetzung des Vaters nach Nürnberg im Jahr 1834 folgte die Aufnahme in das dortige Gymnasium. 1841 begann Luthardt mit dem Studium an...
Telephone system typically used in business environments This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Business telephone system – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Early-1970s Telephone Exchange model TESLA Automatic system Early m...
صندوق العمل (تمكين)معلومات عامةالجنسية البحرين التأسيس 2006 موقع الويب https://www.tamkeen.bhأهم الشخصياتالرئيس الشيخ عيسى بن سلمان بن حمد آل خليفةتعديل - تعديل مصدري - تعديل ويكي بيانات صندوق العمل (تمكين) هي منظمة مهمتها تطوير القطاع الخاص في مملكة البحرين وذلك باعتباره المحرك الرئيس
An editor has nominated this article for deletion.You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it.Feel free to improve the article, but do not remove this notice before the discussion is closed. For more information, see the guide to deletion.Find sources: ARIA Urban Album Chart – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR%5B%5BWikipedia%3AArticles+for+deletion%2FARIA+Urban+Album+Chart%5D%5DAFD ...
Аарн Таркас Дата народження 19 грудня 1923(1923-12-19)Місце народження Порі, Або-Б'єніборзька губернія, ФінляндіяДата смерті 7 жовтня 1976(1976-10-07) (52 роки)Місце смерті ДеніяГромадянство ФінляндіяПрофесія кінорежисер, сценарист, автор, кіноактор, кінопродюсерIMDb ID 0850466 ...
Architectural style This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Chilehaus, Hamburg (finished in 1924) The term Brick Expressionism (German: Backsteinexpressionismus) describes a specific variant of Expressionist architecture that uses bricks, tiles or...
لمعانٍ أخرى، طالع المزار (توضيح). هذه مقالة غير مراجعة. ينبغي أن يزال هذا القالب بعد أن يراجعها محرر مغاير للذي أنشأها؛ إذا لزم الأمر فيجب أن توسم المقالة بقوالب الصيانة المناسبة. يمكن أيضاً تقديم طلب لمراجعة المقالة في الصفحة المخصصة لذلك. (أبريل 2019)تقع منطقة المزار ( ...
Robert V. Moody (links) in Oberwolfach (2007) Robert Vaughan Moody (* 28. November 1941) ist ein kanadischer Mathematiker. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Leben 2 Schriften 3 Literatur 4 Weblinks 5 Quellen Leben Moody wurde in Großbritannien geboren. Er studierte an der University of Saskatchewan in Kanada, wo er 1962 seinen Bachelor-Abschluss machte, und an der University of Toronto, wo er 1964 seinen Master-Abschluss in Mathematik machte und 1966 bei Maria Wonenburger mit der Dissertation Lie algebra...
Saltos ornamentais nosJogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2012 Trampolim 3 m Individual masc fem Sincronizado masc fem Plataforma 10 m Individual masc fem Sincronizado masc fem A competição de saltos ornamentais na modalidade trampolim 3 metros sincronizado masculino foi disputada no dia 1 de agosto no Centro Aquático, em Londres.[1][2] Medalhistas Ouro CHN Luo Yutong e Qin Kai Prata RUS Ilya Zakharov e Evgeny Kuznetsov Bronze USA Troy Dumais e Kristian Ipsen Resultados Pos. Atletas Saltos Total...
Square and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Brussels, Belgium Grand Place redirects here. For other uses, see Grand Place (disambiguation). Grand-Place (French)Grote Markt (Dutch)The Grand-Place/Grote Markt, with Brussels' Town Hall on the leftLocation within BrusselsShow map of BrusselsGrand-Place (Belgium)Show map of BelgiumNative nameGrand-Place (French)Grote Markt (Dutch)Length110 m (360 ft)Width68 m (223 ft)LocationCity of Brussels, Brussels-Capital R...
Механічні властивості ґрунтів використовуються для оцінки їхньої міцності та стійкості, мають найбільше значення у геотехніці. Загальні характеристики Механічні властивості ґрунтів: межа міцності на стиск та межа міцності на розтягнення, модуль поздовжньої пружності...
Annual jazz festival in Bergen, Norway This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Nattjazz – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Bergen International Jazz FestivalNattjazzBjørn Alterhaug Quintet 2016.StatusActiveGenreJazz Fes...
The Kerzerho alignments Kerzérho is a set of neolithic alignments in the commune of Erdeven, in the region of Brittany, France.[1] It lies approximately 8 km northwest of Carnac. It is a protected monument since 1862.[1] References ^ a b Base Mérimée: Alignements de Kerzérho, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French) vteEuropean megalithsArmenia Metsamor Zorats Karer Azerbaijan Gobustan Rocks Bulgaria Beglik Tash Garlo France Barnenez Tumulus of Bougon Caixa de ...
Senkichi TaniguchiLahir19 Februari 1912Tokyo, JepangMeninggal29 Oktober 2007(2007-10-29) (umur 95)Tokyo, JepangPekerjaanSutradara, penulis naskah Senkichi Taniguchi (谷口 千吉, Taniguchi Senkichi) (19 Februari 1912 – 29 Oktober 2007) adalah seorang sutradara dan penulis naskah asal Jepang.[1] Lahir di Tokyo, Jepang, ia masuk Universitas Waseda namun dikeluarkan sebelum lulus karena terlibat dalam kelompok teater sayap kiri.[2][3] Prana...