THE AMAZON RIVER BASIN

Amazon River Basin covers approximately 40% of South America. It covers countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela, Guyana, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru. The basin is covered with Amazon Rainforest. It is the largest rainforest in the world. It has dense tropical forest and is rich in animal and plant diversity.

The climate of this river basin is hot and humid and receives heavy rainfall. The summers are long, wet and hot with plenty of rainfall, whereas winters are short, cool and dry.

The tropical rainforests found in the Amazon River Basin have tall hardwood trees. The trees have thick canopies. The sunlight is unable to reach the ground. Trees take carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This is beneficial for life on Earth. So, Amazon Rainforests are called 'Lungs of the World'.

Natural vegetation is abundant with evergreen and deciduous trees, which act as a source of durable wood for timber. Other forest products from the Amazon Rainforests are rubber, medicinal leaves, herbs, etc.

The soil in this region is moist and has plenty of shade as sunlight does not penetrate to the ground. This river basin is home to reptiles. Anaconda inhabits the shallow waters of the Amazon. Amazon River Basin is also home to several species of birds, mammals and fish. The red-bellied piranha, an omnivorous forager is also seen in this region.

Picture credits: Google