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The Amazon Rainforest, home to an estimated 40,000 plant species, including 16,000 native tree varieties, with new ones also being routinely found, is a gigantic expanse of greenery and accounts for around 20 percent of the overall natural forest allocation in the country. Studies have shown that upwards of 90,000 tons of interesting plants can be found in a single square kilometer of the Amazon Rainforest. That being said, in the Amazon jungle, some of the most fascinating and rare varieties of plants can be found.

We have put together a list of these cool and interesting plants you can find in the Amazon Rainforest.

Cacao

We can’t imagine someone without chocolate being able to survive. The cacao plant is also a superfood that is filled with nutritional benefits, besides being one of the favorite sweets in the world. To benefit from renewable resources, mental alertness, and concentration, make raw cacao part of your daily diet. Cacao is also the main plant-based source of iron and contains more calcium than cow’s milk. For a balanced heart and brain, it is full of magnesium.

Heliconia Flower (Lobster-Claw)

This lovely flora of the Amazon is known as the Hanging Lobster Claw. This flower is light in color and its shape varies. Heliconia plants, noted for their characteristically long structure, depending on the type, range from 0.5 to almost 4.5 meters (1.5-15 feet) tall, and their leaves are 15-300 cm (6 in-10 ft) in height. They need to rise in warm and humid environments, hence becoming prevalent in the world’s tropical regions. For food and breeding, hummingbirds depend on Heliconia trees, and they are also the plant’s primary pollinators.

Interesting plants that live in the rainforest: Giant Water Lilies

You may have seen these amazing Victoria water lilies on one of your jungle excursions if you have ever been on an Amazon River cruise or stayed in a jungle lodge. These water lilies are not the typical flower – they have a diameter of up to 3 meters – imagine, you should lay down on one! They were named after the United Kingdom’s Queen Victoria.

Lupuna Tree

The strong Lupuna tree (Ceiba Pentandra) plays an important role in the forest shelter and feeding the Amazonica environment. Prove several types of Amazonian wildlife insects, amphibians, birds (toucans, for example), monkeys. As well as smaller Amazonian flora that relies on sunshine for survival. A replica of the developing layer that grows above the rainforest canopy, rising to four meters (13 feet) each year.

The shades of its umbrella-shaped crown and trunk vary from pink-white to orange.

Must-see interesting plants: Monkey Brush Vine

A striking vine native to South America is the Monkey Brush. In the whole jungle, this tropical plant spreads like a fungus on other plants and trees. The flower serves as a natural source of hummingbird feeding and a resting place for green iguanas. The flower is very vivid, a bright orange hue that can easily be seen in the greenery of the rainforest. The Monkey Brush name has come from the long and vivid stamens of the flower.

Passion Fruit Flower

I’m sure all of you loved a glass of passion fruit juice, but did you know this plant grows one of the most stunning flowers in the world, too? A robust vine that can hang on to almost anything and grow 15 to 20 ft. a year is the passion fruit tree. In tropical climates, this scheme does well and supports the light, but the passion fruit flower does not like intense weather. If there is so much sun, it will start rising into the shade of the passion fruit tree.

Bromeliads

These lovely plants are vivid in color, ranging from blues and purples to reds and oranges. On the ground or other planets, and also on rocks, these flowers emerge. Like the passion fruit flower, a young, juicy fruit is also produced by some of the bromeliad species.

Orchids

The orchid tree is one of nature’s most beautiful flowers. In the whole world, they are perhaps the largest family of flowers (about 30,000 different species). Orchids grow in all shapes and sizes, and they grow in nearly all temperatures around the world, except cold, because of their adaptable existence! For pollination, orchids, like many flowers, depend on insects and birds. Rainforest protection is important for their survival.

Brazil Nut Tree is one of the interesting plants in the rainforest.

Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa), one of the most famous trees in the Amazon Rainforest, rise to a fantastic height and have a distinctive form. They have a straight trunk and a crown of leaves and roots, similar to a bush. With a trunk 2 meters (6 ft) thick, these trees grow to 50 meters (160 ft) tall. The Brazil nuts, one of the biggest trees in the Amazon, are great trees to find in the rainforest. Their nuts were first found in the early 1800s by the explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt on his journey down the Amazon River. The fruit pods that hold the nuts are incredibly heavy, and only macaws and a form of big rodent called an agouti can break them.

The Amazon Rainforest has been in a steep decline every year.  Calls to save the Amazon Rainforest are more important than ever.

Deforestation has long been a problem in the rainforest. Illegal business practices in forests and an increase in population are the main reasons. Many local resources create products out of the rainforest without practicing sustainable ways to do it.

In recent years, many groups and organizations have called for more local protection laws to save the Amazon Rainforest. Thanks to the power of social media, many are now putting pressure on the higher-ups.

With this, many are asking what is currently being done to save the rainforest? What is currently the initiatives taken to help the species, trees, and other tropical resources in the region?

Here are some of the initiatives that are currently in place to save the Amazon Rainforest.

1.       Protected Areas

The government of Brazil has now pushed for more protected areas in the rainforest. Considering that majority of the forest can be found in the country.  This is to effectively protect the area from agriculture and deforestation. It started a way to curb illegal logging and deforestation.

2.       Environment Laws to Save the Amazon Rainforest

There are forestry and environmental laws that currently protect the Amazon Rainforest.  The Brazilian government is now setting fines for violators. Patrols and other initiatives like satellites are in place to ensure the proper enforcement of forestry laws in the Amazon Rainforest.

3.       Cooperation from Industry

Cattle ranching followed by the growing demand for soybeans products is the one causing the destruction of the forest. This demand for products is the main driver of deforestation in the Amazon for many decades.

4.       Satellite Monitoring

There is a need to monitor the spread of ranching and soybeans production in restricted and protected areas. The Brazilian Space Agency has launched its DETER satellite to monitor the changes in the forest cover in real-time. This was started in 2004 and is now producing reports of deforestation hotspots to law enforcement every two weeks. Satellite monitoring has protected 59,000 square kilometers of the rainforest from deforestation from 2007 to 2011.

5.       International Incentives

The global community has actually helped in protecting the rainforest. To reduce global emissions, the United Nations has established REDD+ or the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Programme. Through this program, countries with high carbon emissions pay for carbon storage to preserve the forests in developing countries.

6.       Government Pressure to Save the Amazon Rainforest

To push the changes in the Amazon rainforest, the Brazilian people and people all over the world have created a social movement. This will pressure numerous NGO’s and law enforcement to invest in protecting the forest. The higher-ups need to act fast in saving Amazon.

7.       Amazon Conservation Projects and Trusts

There are several ongoing conservation projects and trusts. It will allow people all over the world, from different backgrounds and walks of life to share their part in saving the rainforest.

• Amazon Watch
• Rainforest Trust
• Amazon Conservation Team
• Survival International
• Amazon Conservation Association
• International Working Group for Indigenous Affairs
• Rainforest Action Network

With the contribution of everyone around the world, we can conserve the Amazon for many years to come.

The Amazon Rainforest is one of the majestic places you will ever find on planet Earth. By only looking at its pictures and without even setting foot there, you can definitely tell that it is a world of its own. It is a tropical rainforest that is teeming with natural resources and biodiversity we can’t imagine. Many plants species can only be found in this rainforest. Unfortunately, the state of the Amazon Rainforest has declined for the past several years. How much is left of the Amazon Rainforest now?

This ancient natural wonder has been destroyed due to a lot of factors like deforestation, poaching of plants, land burning to make way for cattle farms, but mostly because of man’s insatiable need for progress. It has affected the lives of the indigenous people. These indigenous people are the first ones to have lost their homes and culture because of this. Nonetheless, there is still hope that with the right environmental advancements, we can protect and conserve whatever is left of the Amazon Rainforest. Otherwise, the loss of these natural resources will result in the Earth and all its inhabitants to suffer.

How big is the Amazon Rainforest?

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest in the world, which covers roughly about 5.5 million square kilometers or around 2.3 million square miles. The land area of this tropical rainforest spans across a large portion of South America. Thanks to its incredible biodiversity, about 10% of all the wildlife species known to man can be found in the rainforest. The kind of flora and fauna in the Amazon Rainforest is also incredible that it cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It is home to thousands of tree species including brazil nuts, mahogany, rosewood, palm, and the Amazonian cedar.

Because of its size and its ecosystem, the Amazon Rainforest is called the lungs of planet Earth. This is due to the fact that it is responsible for producing 20% of the oxygen on this planet. On top of that, it has the biggest global carbon storage responsible for absorbing the majority of the global carbon emissions in the atmosphere.

How much of the Rainforest has been lost?

In the past 50 years, 17% to 20% of the land area of the Amazon Rainforest has been lost, largely due to deforestation. The rainforest resides mostly within the borders of Brazil (about 60% of it), and due to the country’s development in the 20th century, more expanses of the Amazon rainforest were cleared. This is to make way for agribusiness.

Just last year, over 700 square miles of the forest has been chopped down according to a report from the National Institute for Space Research in Sao Paulo, Brazil. On top of that, the burning of the Amazon in August 2019 continues until today. In August 2020, national and international news of the Amazon wildfires persists.

What are the factors that contributed to the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest now?

Many factors have contributed to the burning and steep decline of the Amazon Rainforest. This has included the Brazilian government’s response to the tragedies.

Climate Change

Climate change is one of the causes of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. As our rain patterns change and as the temperatures rise, the ecosystems in our rainforests are having trouble adapting. In some areas of the Amazon. rainfall has decreased which resulted in a phenomenon called desertification. In this phenomenon, the forest area turns into grassland. More plants are destroyed and even when we plant more trees today, there’s a chance it will never be salvaged again. When this happens, more carbon in the atmosphere can no longer be absorbed since many areas no longer have enough forest land. The indigenous people living in the Amazon are the first ones experiencing this loss now.  This will continue to the next generations if nothing is done.

Economic Development in the Amazon Rainforest Now

The leading cause of deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest is economic development. This is according to a study by Live Science. Over the past several years, the economy of Brazil has grown faster than most of the rest of the world. Many Brazilian companies are pushing to develop more businesses like cattle farms as cattle ranching is a growing business there. What fuels this growth is the use of the natural resources of the rainforest. On top of that, the growing population has led to urban expansion, which means Brazilian developers are clearing more areas in the forest to make way for new housing, business, and other developments.

Agricultural Expansion

The growth of the agricultural industry is also one of the major causes of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. To increase the size of herds, more farmers are clearing the forest. This is also to make way to grow plant crops like soybean and sugarcane. The rising agricultural demands, this has caused a large area of the Amazon to be cut down.

On top of that, the Brazilian government has weakened the enforcement of illegal logging and environmental protection laws. The new administration of Brazil has allowed the agribusiness to thrive without thinking of the effects of the exploitation and loss of forest resources.

The Timber Industry

The demand for timber is also a major cause of Amazon’s decline. Considering the world’s leading source of lumber is the Amazon, this is a problem. And it has been going on for a long time. There is not enough enforcement of the laws that should have limited the timber industry. Operations are done in very remote regions. They are not easily detected. This could have been easily controlled if the timber companies adopt a more sustainable way to do it.

But there is still hope. With the collective effort of everyone in the world, this destruction will end if we continue to pressure the government to implement the laws that will ultimately save the Amazon Rainforest.

Despite playing a huge role in keeping our climate in control and absorbing carbon emissions, the Amazon Rainforest continues to experience tragedies, fires, immense change almost every year. There’s the illegal logging trade, deforestation, poaching, mining, clearing of land for agribusiness, and the eradication of nearly 1 million indigenous peoples living within the rainforest. And just recently, it has been engulfed in what must have been the worst forest fires you can think of. Fires and deforestation have destroyed thousands of acres of trees and eradicated the home of the many species living in the tropical forest.

This was no accident, of course. Ever since the president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, came to power, he has slashed the budget of environmental protection agencies by 95% to make way for more business-like oil and agribusiness. Bolsonaro has angered many Brazilian, both indigenous peoples and even global citizens for his actions. The Brazilian president has weakened the environmental protection agencies which has resulted in the tumultuous decline of the Amazon Rainforest.

Preserving this tropical rainforest is important as it helps control the world’s climate, absorb the carbon emissions in the world, and provide a home for plant and animal species. Moreover, wildlife conservation has become even more important.

For someone like us watching this news from the distance, we might feel helpless that we can’t do anything about this news. But there are several ways we can do to help the Amazon Rainforest and all the indigenous people living deep within this beautiful place.

Here are 7 ways we can help save the Amazon Rainforest.

1.       Speak up.

It takes one voice to make a difference in the world, how much more if thousands would speak up for our wildlife! Speak up so the government will implement new laws in protecting the Amazon and stop global deforestation altogether. We need to join hand in hand to make waves and encourage more countries to join the fight to keep our forests.

2.       Donate to trust or fund for the conservation of the Amazon Rainforest.

Support organizations such as the Amazon Watch or Rainforest Action Network. Your financial help to these organizations will help provide emergency relief to people directly impacted by the wildfires. This will also help local fire brigades and provide drones and supplies to the indigenous people in the Amazon Rainforest.

3.       Educate yourself about the Amazon Rainforest.

The lack of education is what usually drives many people to engage in illegal trade that could harm the Amazon Rainforest. Before we can share our knowledge with others, we need to start with ourselves first. Educate yourself about climate change, the importance of the Amazon Rainforest, why we should continue to protect it, and the real perils that could potentially destroy it. Arming ourselves with the knowledge about our forests will help us understand more what we should do to help.

4.       Raise awareness in your community about the Amazon Rainforest.

Once you have equipped yourself with the knowledge of why we must save the Amazon Rainforest, share the word, and make sure that your community gets to be involved too. The more people know about the urgency of this matter, the more we can push the change we want for the Amazon Rainforest.

5.       Reduce your wood and paper consumption.

Logging companies engage in illegal logging activities due to the demand for making wood and paper products. These include toilet paper, phone books, office paper, lawn furniture, and many others. Many trees in our forests have been logged or degraded just to supply our needs. And if there is no sustainable way to do it, we will end up losing all the trees we need to survive. You can the Amazon Rainforest by simply reducing your consumption of wood and paper products. In your own simple ways, you can reduce the pressure on our forests today. In the same way, beef is also one of the major commodities that has caused damage to the forest. Reduce your consumption of beef and other byproducts.

6.       Buy some land.

There are many ways to protect the lands in the Amazon Rainforest and one way of doing that is to buy some land. Organizations like the Rainforest Trust can help you do this. You can buy acres of land so you can protect it from mining, slash and burning agribusiness, and illegal logging. When you buy some land, you will support local communities and preserve the forest land of the Amazon for the future generation. You can prevent fires that are deliberately set.

7.       Support the indigenous people.

The lives of the indigenous people are the ones greatly impacted by the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest. Their rights and livelihood are violated due to the irresponsibility of the government of Brazil. The president of Brazil has implemented policies that have not helped the indigenous people. By directly funding and supporting the indigenous communities, you can expose the destructive activities of corporations and help topple down corrupt government officials.