Facts about the Rainforest

1.     Rainforests cover 6% of the earth’s surface but contain more than half of its plant and animal species. 

 

2.     Rainforests can be defined as a dense forest with an annual rainfall of 406 cm (160 inches).  They are often but not always located in tropical regions. 

 

3.     The Amazon is the largest rainforest in the world.  It covers roughly 40% of the South American continent and is in part of eight countries including Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.

 

4.     The Amazon rainforest is the ancestral home to around one million indigenous people.  These people can be divided into around 400 tribes, some of whom still have little or no contact with outside people or influence. 

 

5.     Half of our medications from from the plant kingdom.  The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active against cancer cells.  70% of these plants are found in the rainforest.  Twenty-five percent of the active ingredients in today’s cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest. 

 

6.     The Ayahuasca, or 'rope of the spirits' in Quechua, is the master plant of the Amazonian rainforest. For many thousands of years, shamans have used its properties to cure the body and the soul and to connect with gods and nature.

 

7.     A hot and humid climate plays a large role in the species biodiversity found in rainforests.  With over 600 species of birds, 32 parrot species (that’s 10% of the world’s total), 200 mammal species, 1200 butterfly species and 10,000 species of vascular plants Tambopata, Peru is often referred to as the “Capital of Biodiversity.”

 

8.     Rainforests are home to thousands of endangered mammal species such as the Harpy Eagle (the world’s second largest), the Jaguar, and the Giant Otter.

 

9.     The largest threat to rainforests is deforestation.  Trees are cut down for cattle pastures, slash and burn farming and human settlement.  While rainforests used to cover 14% of the planet, they now only cover 6%.

 

10.  One of the best ways to protect the land from deforestation is by giving value to the forest while it is still standing through methods such as ecotourism.  Land enjoyed by travelers from around the world while allowing species to thrive.