The Amazon Rainforest

Millions of years ago the surface of the earth had only one land mass, a super-continent known as Pangaea. Over the millenia, huge transformations took place, one of which was the splitting of what is now known as Africa and South America. This resulted in the formation of the Atlantic Ocean.

During this era, the Amazon River basin flowed towards the Pacific side of the continent. Further transformations took place, including the emergence of the Andes mountain range. Geological processes changed the direction of the river from a western to an eastern flow and into the Atlantic Ocean. These transformations and geological processes were responsible for the future development of the Amazon rainforest as it is known today.

The Amazon rainforest is the largest in the world, covering 5.5 million square kilometres (3.4 million square miles). It is shared by nine countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana and Guiana. 60% of the rainforest is located in Brazil and covers almost half of the country.

When Portuguese explorers colonized Brazil, they held the belief the forest contained the city  called Eldorado, the city of gold. They also believed the city was guarded by a female warrior race known as Amazonians. Neither Eldorado nor the Amazon warriors were found but the myths and the names remain to this day.

'Rain' is a nickname that describes the humidity found in tropical and equatorial forests, although it does not rain all the time. Tropical forests are located along and near the equator and are extremely hot. The heat, associated with great volumes of water, create evaporation. The forests also retain water in their branches, roots and soil. The result of all this creates the stifling humidity. The combination of humidity and a well defined rainy season has created the established nickname for all tropical and equatorial forests.

The heat, rain and humidity create a rich eco-system. The Amazon rainforest contains trees as tall as 120 feet, thousands of differing species of plants and an extensive array of birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. The canopy of the rainforest houses thousands of animal species.

The rainforest is also a home to humans. The indigineous tribes are part of the equilibrium that has existed for thousands of years. Other humans have settled there but, unlike the native tribes, have never learned how to live from the rasinforest without leaving a negative impact.

Businesses that are destroying the Amazon rainforest are well known and documented. The two most responsible for deforestation are agriculture and animal farming, notably cattle. Both businesses need land to survive. Another business responsible for wholesale destruction is the wood sector.

There is also an illegal trade of biological species. There are two kinds of illegal biological trade; one is for living animals that go to private collections, usually in Europe and the USA. The other goes to the pharmaceutical companies' laboratories, again mainly in Europe and the USA.

Brazilian police have made improvements in their endeavours to stop the illegal trade in animals, especially those on the endangered species list. It is, however, difficult to control such activity when a local individual is offered $200 or more for a Capuchin Monkey, a Red-Eyed Tree Frog or a Macaw. Although the sum of $200 may be no more than play-money to an egotistical collector, it is over a year's wages for most local inhabitants of the Amazon rainforest.

Pharmaceutical conglomerates world-wide make vast profits, even during times of recession. They are billion dollar multi-national industries who have the money, and no doubt the expertise, to enable them to scoff at any international law.

For the indigenious population, the Amazon rainforest is important because it is their home; their culture is closely linked with the forest. If the forest is destroyed, they are also destroyed. Some of the tribes living in the forest have never been in contact with outside cultures. They have lived happily and peacefully in their habitat for thousands of years, evolving their own language, art, history and local knowledge. The only source of their world is hidden deep in their culture for they have never developed a written language.

One of the many problems to arise from the extinction of any species is that other species may over-populate (just think of the human species). Imagine what catastrophies lie in wait if this should happen to a strain of bacteria with no known antidote. Viruses that were once contained to other rainforests have already been encountered. Ebola was only transferred to humans when the animal habitats of the rainforests on the African continent were destroyed. The virus spread as the infected species of monkey were driven out of their habitats and came face to face with humanity for the first time.

The Amazon rainforest holds the biggest land stock of carbon in the world. If the forest should catch fire, the carbon would be released into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. The big conglomerates have decided the quickest, cheapest and easiest method of deforestation is - yes! you guessed correctly - by the use of fire.

A Brazilian environmentalist, Philip Martin Fernside, believes, although he has no scientific proof, that if deforestation continues at the present rate, the Amazon rainforest will become extinct by 2080. In other words, during the lifetime of our grandchildren.

The Amazon region contains over half of the world's remaining rainforests. As well as being the largest rainforest, it is also home to the most speciesof animals and flora. If you can imagine the planet being a living body, the Amazon rainforest would be the lungs. Think of how hard it would be to breathe, or even survive, when the lungs are damaged beyond repair. That is the effect uncontrolled deforestation has on the planet Earth.