The Amazon Rainforest is nowadays from world-wide interest, it´s crucial that we take care of it, and we´ll give you 5 important reasons why.
Drained by the Amazon River, and located in northern South America, covering an area of 2,300,000 square miles long.
Covering about 40 percent of Brazil’s total area, it is bounded by the Guiana Highlands to the north, the Andes Mountains to the west, the Brazilian central plateau to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
1.The Amazon Rainforest is Literally the Planet´s Lungs
It is an extraordinary and stunning place, a real green paradise, within mighty rivers and full of lush green trees.
We must take care of all of these oxygen sources.
This rainforest is home to more than 40,000 species of plants, including 16,000 native tree types.
And more and more are being discovered regularly. Amazon Rainforest is a huge area of greenery; it hosts 20% of the world’s entire distribution of natural forest.
Studies have shown that a square kilometer of the Amazon Rainforest might contain upwards of 90,000 tons of living plants.
The most fascinating and unique species of plants are found almost every day in the Amazon jungle.
But, under its glossy green appearance, it’s also providing the world with countless benefits.
We must take care of these plants, these trees and all the new species that haven´t been found yet.
2.Climate Change an International Issue
Without the Amazon, the entire world’s climates would be thrown off.
The atmosphere would be almost fully polluted with billions of tons of CO2.
We might lose more than 10% of the world’s biodiversity.
The Amazon is an extremely important asset to the planet, its oxygen production and photosynthesis from trees and plants take out carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The greenhouse effect is reduced on the planet.
Climate Change makes the planet hotter, it becomes increasingly important to protect and take care of the rain forest, in order to fight back against this situation.
3.Amazon Rainforest is a Human Asset as Well
It is not only a jungle Human beings live there.
It is home to at least 400 tribes of Indigenous people who have lived their entire life in the rain forest.
They have unique languages and deep cultural roots.
These people live in equilibrium with the land, they don’t waste all the resources, they have found the way to obtain benefits without damaging the forest.
They can teach us how to really take care of Amazon, but sadly some of them have been pushed out their lands and they now live as refugees.
4.Food and Medicines from The Jungle
A significant variety of popular foods are originated in the Amazon rainforest.
Some are coffee, cacao (chocolate), bananas, vanilla beans, avocado, sugar cane, and more.
And we might have a very good chance to find something new and delicious.
Some medicines we find are:
- Wasai: for kidney health, and prescribed as a diuretic.
- Lapacho: with anticancer properties exist only in the Amazon and fight against infections.
- Sodo: can be used to cure addictions.
- Cordoncillo: an anesthetic for those who are ill or have suffered an injury.
- Tawari Tree Bark: has multiple anticancer properties and is useful in treating infection, cancerous cells, tumors, and inflammation.
There are plenty of medicines we might find in the Amazon Rainforest.
5.Amazon Rainforest Is Still Being Explored
As was mentioned the extension of this forest represents 2% of the green area of the whole planet.
That´s a lot, that´s why biologists and ecologists always are looking forward to exploring it.
Most of it has not been explored and studied by researchers yet.
This means countless species are yet to be discovered.
Let´s Protect It, It Is Our Hope
As you can see the Amazon Rainforest is more than a green jungle, we must take care of the species we already know about, but even more so to preserve those that we don’t.
There could be undiscovered species with properties that will help scientists in the fight against antibiotic resistance or cancer.
Currently, 70 percent of plants found here have anti-cancer properties.
At Perfect Sunset School, we want to make people conscious about the importance of this jungle and that we must take care of it.
Come, visit us and let us know what is your point of view.
See you around!