A Look At The Amazon Rainforest

2011-03-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

Pretty much everyone has heard of the Amazon River. What a lot of people do not know too much about is the Amazon rainforest. It is located in South American and comprises 1.7 billion acres. 1.4 billion of those acres is rain forest area. Here is an in depth look at this amazing part of the earth.

The Amazon rainforest or Amazonia is also referred to as the Amazon Jungle. It includes land belonging to nine different countries. 60% of it is found in Brazil and 13% in Peru. Smaller percentages lie within the nations of Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Suriname, French Guiana and Guyana. Amazonia is the largest rain forest area in the world, making up more than half of the remaining rain forest on the planet.

In addition to being the largest, the Amazon rainforest is also home to the most different species of plants and animals. There are mind blowing numbers of species living here. Last count identified at least 40,000 plant species, 3000 fish species, 428 species of amphibians and 378 of reptiles. Further there are 427 species of mammals and 1294 of birds. In fact, one out of every five birds on Earth lives in Amazonia. Perhaps the most staggering number is that of insect species: 2.5 million different species. The tapir and leafcutter ant are two species that reside here.

Amazonia is often thought of as having oversize animals and being a dangerous place. There are more than a few giant creatures here but most of the goings on are typical. Among the largest predators in the Amazon rainforest are the anaconda, jaguar, cougar and the black caiman. Other dangerous critters people should avoid are poison dart frogs, electric eels, piranha and even vampire bats that can spread rabies. Yellow fever and malaria are also associated with the region.

As for the river of the same name, it is the second largest river in the world with an average discharge that surpasses that of the next six rivers combined. The river width ranges from. 99 miles and its narrowest and 6.2 miles at the widest. The source is the Andes Mountains and the mouth is the Atlantic Ocean. Its length is approximately 4200 miles and runs through three countries: Brazil, Peru and Colombia. Like the Amazon rainforest, the River is home to large numbers of plant and animal species. 2100 fish species swim here, such as the bull shark, and new species are discovered every year. Along with fish are aquatic mammals such as the River Dolphin, Amazonian Manatee and the giant otter. Also supported are algae, crabs, turtles and other reptiles.

The Amazon rainforest is a vital piece of the puzzle that keeps the entire planet functioning. The forest is estimated to cool the temperature of the earth by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius and to help keep rainfall and humidity balanced in several regions of the globe. The forest holds about 10% of the carbon stores of the planet. When the carbon gets released in the form of carbon dioxide, climate change occurs.

Deforestation is usually caused by fire which is the most likely way this carbon will be released. Deforestation is a frightening thought in itself. While largely protected and left intact until the 1960s, the Amazon rainforest has been cleared dramatically in recent years. The main reason is farmers who are seeking fertile soil. Farmers have cleared spots of land because of weed infestation and soil infertility. The new section is very productive but only for short periods. So, after not too long, they move on and clear more area. In the year 2000, the forest had lost 227,000 square miles to deforestation. The patches of cleared forest are extensive and damaging. They can actually be seen from outer space with the naked eye.

The Amazon rainforest is an amazing and important section of Earth. Scientists stress that the land must be protected. One group actually presented figures to show that it is financially beneficial as well. Forest areas that are sustainably harvested for fruit and timber are worth more than six times the same area in which forest is cleared. Today, people all over are spreading the word about protecting the environment. The Amazon Rainforest is one region we have to focus on. One thing you can do to help is donate to the cause.

Drinking Water - Where Does It Come From?

2011-03-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

By Eugen Ili

Each day, the average American uses about 50 gallons of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and maintenance. The majority of people, still, are ignorant of the source of their water. In the United States, approximately 88 percent of the inhabitants are supplied by society supply systems. The other 12 percent is supplied by non-community resources, such as resorts, private wells and campgrounds. Sixty-four percent of community systems use surface water as their resource, the other thirty-six percent use groundwater from wells.

The visual properties of the water consumption from these community systems are often affected by the. Ground water frequently has a somewhat metallic flavor, and can hold high quantities of minerals. But on the other hand, the surface water, typically have a moldy taste and look gray. Treatment systems intend to generate water that is: secure for human use, attractive and high-quality tasting to the user, and conforms to Requirements of State and Federal policy at the lowest possible cost.

You might want to make a test. A flavor test will demonstrate the differences between ground and surface water, underline some of the widespread contaminants in nature, and encourage learning about the sources of drinking water.

The materials needed are: 1 gallon of tap water (identify the source), 1 gallon of distilled water, 1 gallon of filtered tap water, 1 gallon of mineral water (or private well water, if available).

After you have all the materials ready for the test then follow the next steps:

1. Mark a set of 4 cups for each tester. Ticket each cup 1 through 4 and fill them with the different sorts of water. Make sure that equally labeled cups have the same sort of water.

2. Point to the different sorts of water present in the four cups. Work together with someone to try to identify different smells, tastes, and appearances in the water. Write down the observations on each water sample, and identify which cup has which type of water.

3. After completed this step with making the observations, mark the guesses. Try to find out what types of impurities would you expect to find in the different sorts of water.

4. Then reveal which samples contained which sort.

This will help you a lot with the knowledge of the sources of water and what sort is better for you. Which type of it tasted best in your opinion? And maybe you can even figure out why? Which type of it would you consider safer to drink, groundwater from a spring, or surface water from a stream. All this answers will help you be conscious of the water you consume and the benefits it can offer to you.

Eugen writes about water effects on health, you can check out his website which helps people find the best deals on water dispenser and other water dispenser.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eugen_Ili

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A Look At The Amazon Rainforest

Drinking Water - Where Does It Come From?