Part 5: Threats to the Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon rainforest covers approximately eight million square kilometres — an area larger than Australia — and is home to an astounding amount of biodiversity. 

There are many ways it helps our planet. Firstly, its diverse ecosystems provide homes for many animals and insects. Did you know that the rainforest is home to over 40,000 plant species, 3,000 fish species, 1,300 bird species, 430 mammals and an amazing 2.5 million different insect species!

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The rainforest also produces 20% of the worlds oxygen, which is the air we breathe! Through the process of photosynthesis, the plants in the Amazon absorb the carbon dioxide in the air and convert it to oxygen. Carbon dioxide is a gas which, when there is too much of it, can be bad for our planet. 

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The Amazon also plays a key role in the global water cycle. On a typical day, the trees in the Amazon release 20 billion tons of moisture into the atmosphere, filling the clouds with rain. As these clouds move across the Amazon, moisture is recycled from sky to land five to six times a day. This influences the weather patterns across North and South America.

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In addition to being home to thousands of different tree and animal species, the Amazon Rainforest is also inhabited by 400-500 indigenous tribes. It is estimated that over 50 of these tribes have never had contact with the outside world, showing that there are still parts of the Amazon that remain untouched.