The Amazon's Geographical Surroundings

The Amazon Rainforest is located mainly in Brazil and spreads out into Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela. The Amazon used to have 6 square miles of green,lush,and beautiful land ,but now it barely has 3 square miles of land. The Amazon Rainforest has less of its land now because its experiencing DEFORESTATION. Deforestation is when all the trees and plants are getting removed and are bought from other people/places. The Amazon is made of broadleaf evergreen forest. Its weather is normally very wet and very hot, and the Amazon is close by the equator. This rainforest has 3 layers ,which means the top layer of the trees is called a Canopy, the middle layer is called the Lower story, and lastly the bottom layer is called the Forest floor.

Groups who want the Amazon.

There are many different groups who are fighting over the rain forest, because they want to use or preserve the resources for different causes. The groups are rubber tappers, Environmentalists, Loggers , Settlers ,and Native Amazonian. For example the rubber tappers are against the loggers for cutting down the trees that have sap in them to make the rubber products. But there are more conflicts between all the groups, mostly because of how each one wants to use the land. Which group will the Brazilian government pick to decide who can stay and who has to leave? Who do you think should stay?

Environmentalists

The Environmentalists got to the Amazon Rainforest in the 1970's. When the group got there they used the land for finding cures from the biodiversity. Right now they are still looking through the different plants and taking samples from the animals. Their job is sustainable. How? ,because the Environmentalists only use the medicines that don't harm or kill the animals and plants. The governmentstarted to let them have small reserved areas by 2004. Also in 2001 the group won over the cattle ranchers for a reserved piece of land. All the Environmentalists want is a slower,smarter,development.

Rubber Tappers

The Rubber Tappers made peace with the Indians and learned forest survival skills from them 70 years ago. The rubber tappers are friends with the environmentalists and the Native Amazonian. All three groups help support the rainforest by preserving it. The rubber trappers came in the 1900's and have major conflict between the loggers, because of all the clear-cutting they do. Inside the trees there is a sap that you can make rubber products with. But they can't do that with the clear-cutting going around the Amazon. All they want is to keep their harmless traditional way of life.

Native Amazonains

12,000 years ago the Natives came to the Amazon. The way they use their land is by planting crops,fishing,and hunting. This is sustainable because they kill wildlife and they adapt to what ever changes there are. In the 1960's Brazils government decided to open the Amazon Basin. In a way they are similar to Rubber Tappers because they are trying to preserve the rainforest while keeping their tradition, which is struggling to save parts of the rainforest that they consider home . All they want to do is keep there tradiontal way of life.

Loggers

The loggers got to the Amazon Rainforest in the 1960's. A loggers job is to harvest the trees, and thats why they have conflicts between the Environmentalists, Rubber Tappers, and the Native Amazonains. Once they Harvest the trees the loggers move on to the next part of the rainforest. Then the land is used for the cattle ranchers and settlers. Thats why it isn't sustainable. Once the ranchers use it nothing grows back , becausei t is all dead land. In 2004 the loggers made $5,000,000,000 worth of wood. What the loggers want is to use the trees for paper to wooden furniture,plus to help Brazil with its debts.

Settlers

The Settlers got to the Amazon Rainforest in the 1960's when the Brazilian Government began encouraging poor people to move in the rainforest. When they migrate they clear-cut the trees off the land to make farm fields. This isn't sustainable because the soil so too thin and constant rain washes the soils nutrients. Then when the land isn't good enough anymore the settlers find another piece of land ,and do the same process all over again. That's why the settlers have conflict with the Native Amazonians , Rubber Tappers, and the Environmentalists. What the settlers want is to clear the forest land for subsistance farming , so that they can grow or feed their family. All they want is land and food for their family.

10 Reasons Why we Need the Amazon Rainforest

1. We need the Amazon rainforest is because more than 20% of our oxygen comes from there.

2. More than half of the world's 10 million species of animals, plants, insects come from tropical rainforest, without the Amazon Rainforest they would all die out.

3. It might carry cures for diseases/cancers.

4. Most of our foods come out of the Amazon like , bananas , pineapples , nuts , coffee beans , and many more.

5. The rainforest is the home many tribal people who live in the Amazon Rainforest and depend on its food and shelter.

6. The Amazon acts like a "heating pump." that redistributes solar energy.

7. Tropical rainforests covered 14% of the Earth’s surface but now only a mere 6% is left; they are very important to the Earth’s eco-system.

8. At least 3000 fruits are found in the rainforest but only 200 of them are used in the western world.

9. In one area of land you can find 287 different trees and 662 species of higher trees.

10. There are so wonderful animals and plants that come from the tropical rainforest. So many unknown wonders.

Eco- Friendly Products

These products are from economic friendly companies that use recycled materials and 100% fabrics. The first product is made from wool and silk the maker of this outfit is EVO. EVO is a very friendly product maker that sells from clothes to traveling green.
There are some different types of foods that are organic and they are also from EVO. Like chocolates, healthy coffee, and much more.
Most of EVO's products are a little expensive, but it's worth it because you are doing the right thing by helping out the world by using some kind of organic product.

"Thinking Green!"

Endangered Amazon Animals

There are many endangered animals in the Amazon Rainforest. Like the Three-toed sloths because of all the trees that are being cleared down to make farms. Jaguars are endangered because they are being hunted for their fur , and also because of the land being cleared. Golden Lion Tamarins are monkeys that are having their homes being cut down or they don't have big enough areas to live on. Poison Dart Frogs are endangered because their habitats are being destroyed. Hyacinth Macaws are endagered because these poor birds are being trapped to be sold to people for pets, and also their forest homes are being clear-cutted.

Life of the Amazon Movie

Movie was created to show all the wonderful animals and plant life that make the Amazon rainforest their home. If we don't preserve this land we will lose these beautiful creatures and plant life. Many undiscovered species won't ever be discovered if deforestation continues. Many medical discoveries were found in places like the Amazon. If all is lost, the cure for some diseases could be gone forever.

Music By: Jason Mraz
Song title: I'm yours