In 1541, Francisco de Orellana and many other Spanish Conquistadors set out on a expedition to South America, in search of Gold and Silver for their King. During their journey Fransico was seperated from the rest of his group and he ended up floating the lenght of what we now call, the Amazon River. He arrived at the mouth of the river in August of that same year. The first people he met his voyage were female warriors. Hearing many greek myths about female warriors called "Amazons" along his travels, Fransico was given the idea of naming this famous river, the Amazon!
The Amazon Today
Environmental protection groups all around the world are working to protect the amazing natural beauty of the Amazon rainforest. National, corporate, and citizen's groups are helping plant seedlings and promoting the use of recyclable paper, which can be used to make more paper without cutting down any more trees. Some companies are giving part of their profits to help grow the rainforests back. All of the earth's natural environment, and not just the Amazon, is a vital habitat not just for animals, but also for us humans.
The Amazon River is home to 20 percent of the planet's animal and plant specatmosphere, earning it the nickname, the “Lungs of the World.”
ies. It plays a important role in the precipitation cycle of South America and pumps oxygen into the
Current Problems
Each year an area of forest slightly larger than Massachusetts is cut down, releasing global warming pollution in the form of carbon dioxide and methane from burning and decaying vegetation. The Amazon is an important repository of carbon and water. Deforestation disrupts the water cycle by allowing water to runoff directly to rivers rather than being trapped in soil and plants and slowly released throughout the year. This makes the forest more vulnerable to drought, loss of trees. and global warming pollution.
The Amazon rainforest is shrinking everyday. Scientist predict that by the end of the century the Amazon will have larger losses of soil and plant carbon then any other place on Earth!
Amazon Cultural
In 1541, Francisco de Orellana and many other Spanish Conquistadors set out on a expedition to South America, in search of Gold and Silver for their King. During their journey Fransico was seperated from the rest of his group and he ended up floating the lenght of what we now call, the Amazon River. He arrived at the mouth of the river in August of that same year. The first people he met his voyage were female warriors. Hearing many greek myths about female warriors called "Amazons" along his travels, Fransico was given the idea of naming this famous river, the Amazon!
The Amazon Today
Environmental protection groups all around the world are working to protect the amazing natural beauty of the Amazon rainforest. National, corporate, and citizen's groups are helping plant seedlings and promoting the use of recyclable paper, which can be used to make more paper without cutting down any more trees. Some companies are giving part of their profits to help grow the rainforests back. All of the earth's natural environment, and not just the Amazon, is a vital habitat not just for animals, but also for us humans.
The Amazon River is home to 20 percent of the planet's animal and plant specatmosphere, earning it the nickname, the “Lungs of the World.”
ies. It plays a important role in the precipitation cycle of South America and pumps oxygen into the
Current Problems
Each year an area of forest slightly larger than Massachusetts is cut down, releasing global warming pollution in the form of carbon dioxide and methane from burning and decaying vegetation. The Amazon is an important repository of carbon and water. Deforestation disrupts the water cycle by allowing water to runoff directly to rivers rather than being trapped in soil and plants and slowly released throughout the year. This makes the forest more vulnerable to drought, loss of trees. and global warming pollution.The Amazon rainforest is shrinking everyday. Scientist predict that by the end of the century the Amazon will have larger losses of soil and plant carbon then any other place on Earth!
Drought and deforestation