Facts about the Amazon Rainforest: Origin, Biodiversity, Unique Species and Critical Threats

Amazon rainforest is the world’s richest and largest rainforest with several species of animals, insects, plants and birds. It spans around 9 different countries covering more than 5.5 million square kilometers. Contributing to 20% of the earth’s oxygen supply, the Amazon rainforest is the most important ecosystem around the world. Let’s learn some interesting facts about the Amazon rainforest, its origin, importance, flora and fauna.

Table of Contents

• Size and Biodiversity of Amazon Rainforest
• Origin of Amazon Rainforest
• Rare Species of Amazon Rainforest
• Deforestation and Climate Change
• 10 Interesting Facts about Amazon Rainforest

Size and Biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon forest is a tropical rainforest covering around 60,00,000 kilometers of area at the basin of Amazon river. It is so big that it creates its own weather and generates its own rainfall. Nearly 60% of the Amazon rainforest is in Brazil. Amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse place on earth with an extraordinary biodiversity of 3 million species. It is home to 40,000 plant species, 1,300 different bird groups and 3,000 different types of fish that are more than the entire Atlantic ocean. The Amazon rainforest sits in the Amazon river basin which is the world’s largest river drainage system which drains around 209,000 cubic metres of water per second.

Origin of the Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon river has been estimated to form 55 million years ago when the tectonic plates of South America and Africa separated during the Eocene period. This tropical rainforest was formed as a result of restructuring done by Andean uplift. It restructured the topography of the region along with the river systems and transformed the giant inland sea into a river basin which we know today as Amazon river basin. This historical evolution gave birth to one of the earth’s most intricate and species-rich ecosystems, called Amazon rainforest.

Rare Species of the Amazon Rainforest

A wide variety of stunning fauna can be found in the huge and biologically rich Amazon Rainforest. Unfortunately, the illegal wildlife trade, deforestation and climate change pose a serious threat to the survival of over 2,300 creatures in the Amazon forest. Some of the rarest species of animals found here are Amazon river dolphins, jaguar, giant otters, poison dart frogs, hyacinth macaw, bald uakari and South American tapir.

Deforestation and Climate Change

Over the past few decades around 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed due to deforestation and climate change. Large scale farming, mining, cattle ranching, infrastructure and urban development is posing a threat to the Amazon’s precious ecosystem. Scientists worldwide agree that these activities should be stopped immediately to preserve this largest tropical rainforest and to save many endangered species. It also has a huge impact on the global health of the planet as it contributes to regulating 50 to 70% rain water back into the atmosphere. The disruption in the Amazon rainforest would lead to global climate instability and weather crisis.

10 Interesting Facts about the Amazon Rainforest 

1. The Amazon rainforest is the richest ecosystem on earth that holds around 10% of the world’s species.
2. There are over 40,000 plant species growing in the Amazon forest with trees releasing approx 20 billion tonnes of water into the atmosphere every single day.
3. The annual rainfall in the Amazon ranges from 1,500 mm to 3,000 mm, with some areas receiving up to 10,000 mm per year.
4. It is known as the carbon sink; around 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide gets absorbed into the Amazon rainforest every year.
5. Almost 80 to 90% of the plants in the Amazon rainforest depend on animals for pollination. They disperse the seeds all around the wider region of the rainforest for planting of trees and plants.
6. This tropical rainforest is so densely populated with trees that 98% of the sunlight gets blocked by them from reaching the forest floor.
7. Over 400 indigenous groups of people with unique cultures live in the Amazon rainforest.
8. Pink river dolphins and jaguars are some of the rarest species of animals found in the Amazon rainforest.
9. The Amazon rainforest is the origin of around 80% of the world's food varieties that we eat today.
10. Around 1/5th of the world’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest.