Amazon Rainforest
South American lungs
The Amazon Rainforest is the formal name for the vast tropical forest covering much of the Amazon River basin in South America.
This capitalized form appears in geographic references, scientific papers, and conservation discussions: The Amazon Rainforest lost over 10,000 square kilometers last year. (Lowercase amazon rainforest is the common form.)
Overhead protective covering
- understoryForest's lower vegetation tier
- forest floorGround beneath trees
- emergent layerTopmost rainforest zone
- biomeMajor ecological community
habitat · food web · nutrient cycle · decomposition · symbiosis · keystone species · photosynthesis · epiphytes
Of hot, humid regions
- equatorialOf Earth's central line
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- rainfallWater falling from clouds
- wet seasonProlonged rainy period
dry season · monsoon · precipitation · thunderstorms · transpiration · water cycle · carbon sink · microclimate
Finest taxonomic rank
- endemicNative to one area
- jaguarLarge American spotted cat
- harpy eagleGiant crested neotropical raptor
- poison dart frogToxic, brightly colored amphibian
anaconda · piranha · toucan · macaw · howler monkey · sloth · tapir · capybara
Societies organized by kinship
- traditional knowledgeCommunity wisdom across generations
- shamanismMediation between worlds
- ayahuascaPsychoactive Amazonian plant brew
- ethnobotanyScience of human-plant relationships
land rights · ancestral territories · sustainable practices · cultural heritage
Large-scale woodland elimination
- loggingRecording system events
- cattle ranchingRaising bovines commercially
- land clearingRemoving growth from terrain
- protected areasZones with legal conservation status
indigenous reserves · reforestation · sustainable forestry · ecotourism · wildlife corridors · endangered species · habitat loss · environmental policy
canopy
Overhead protective covering
- understoryForest's lower vegetation tier
- forest floorGround beneath trees
- emergent layerTopmost rainforest zone
biome · habitat · food web · nutrient cycle · decomposition · symbiosis · keystone species · photosynthesis · epiphytes · lianas
tropical
Of hot, humid regions
- equatorialOf Earth's central line
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- rainfallWater falling from clouds
wet season · dry season · monsoon · precipitation · thunderstorms · transpiration · water cycle · carbon sink · microclimate · cloud formation
species
Finest taxonomic rank
- endemicNative to one area
- jaguarLarge American spotted cat
- harpy eagleGiant crested neotropical raptor
poison dart frog · anaconda · piranha · toucan · macaw · howler monkey · sloth · tapir · capybara · leaf-cutter ants
tribal communities
Societies organized by kinship
- traditional knowledgeCommunity wisdom across generations
- shamanismMediation between worlds
- ayahuascaPsychoactive Amazonian plant brew
ethnobotany · land rights · ancestral territories · sustainable practices · cultural heritage
deforestation
Large-scale woodland elimination
- loggingRecording system events
- cattle ranchingRaising bovines commercially
- land clearingRemoving growth from terrain
protected areas · indigenous reserves · reforestation · sustainable forestry · ecotourism · wildlife corridors · endangered species · habitat loss · environmental policy · illegal mining
- BrazilRio, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Copacabana
- Amazon RegionManaus, Acre, Leticia
- Latin AmericaArgentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Cuba
- South AmericaArgentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador
- Extreme PlacesDeath Valley, Mariana Trench, Mount Everest, Antarctica, Sahara Desert
- Biodiversity HotspotsCaucasus, Himalaya, Horn of Africa, Japan, Madagascar
Amazon RainforestSahara Desert
Massive North African arid region
Arabian Desert · Gobi Desert · tundra · Mojave Desert · Kalahari Desert
Amazon Rainforestwasteland
Uninhabitable barren region
scorched earth · dead zone · desolate landscape · dust bowl · badlands
rainforest, Amazon, rainforests, Amazons, Amazonia, Amazonians, Amazonian