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Amazon rainforest ....巴西亞馬遜
The biodiversity in these wet
tropical forests is mind-blowing. It is home to the largest collection of
living plant and animal species in the world. One in ten known species on
this planet lives in the Amazon Rainforest. Amazonia is home to around
2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants, and more than
2,000 birds and mammals. So far, at least 40,000 plant species, 2,200
fishes, 1,294 birds, 427 mammals, 428 amphibians, and 378 reptiles have
been scientifically classified within this region. One in five of all
bird and fish species live here. The Scarlet Macaws above are indigenous
to the American tropics. The photographer wrote, “Red-and-Green Macaws DO
grow on trees in the Amazon.” Photo #1 by Billtacular
The San Rafael Falls and
Quijos River are located at the foot of the highly active Reventador
Volcano which rises out of the Amazon jungle east of the Andes. Based on
archaeological evidence, it is believed that humans first inhabited this
Amazon paradise at least 11,200 years ago. Photo #2 by Imagesunion
Streams of light in the
Amazonian mist. Inside this rainforest, you never quite know what you
might see . . . Photo #3 by Jon Rawlinson
You might see a Tupi ‘red
bird,’ also known as the scarlet ibis, one of the most beautiful
Brazilian birds, because of the color of their plumage. Photo #4 by J.Gil Photography
Star of the water – In the
rivers of the Amazon. The photographer noted, “The water lily (Victoria
regia), an aquatic plant is typical of the Amazon region. Its leaves are
large and circular, with folded edges, forming a sort of basin. They can
reach 2 meters in diameter. The leaves of the lily pad can withstand the
weight of a small child in the water without sinking.” According to an
Indian legend about the lilypad, “As its flowers open at night, the
Indians liken to the moon and stars. They say that once in the Amazon,
there lived an Indian girl that he wanted to become a star. At night, she
liked to look at the sky to admire the stars. She thought that the moon
could come pick her up on Earth and take it to heaven. One night, a
beautiful Indian girl leaned over the side of the river, where the moon
was reflected. She was mesmerized by the image of the moon, fell into the
river and disappeared into the water. The moon then turned into a
lilypad. So the flower of the lily pad is called ‘star of the waters’.” Photo #8 by Miriam C de Souza
The photographer wrote of the
‘Wild Boy’, “His eyes reflects the nostalgia of an almost extinct World.
Wearing an Amazon Toucan, traditionally used only for the sacred dances
and very special moments, this boy is learning from the Shamans the
traditional dances of the Kotococha culture, a knowledge which is only
transmitted from the shaman to the few chosen by word of mouth. Origin:
Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest, Kotococha tribe.” Photo #15 by Gustavo Morejón
Folklore of Amazonas is
nourished from legends and stories in which mystery and inexplicable
things are always present. One example on Wikipedia includes “if you ask
people about the lagoon of Cochaconga, they will say that it is
enchanted. They say it has the ‘form of a neck’ and that with the
smallest noise provoked by an animal or the scream of a person, there
will be a tremendous thunderstorm in which an enormous monster will
appear in the shape of cow. This monster will become mad with the
strangers. That’s why, whoever passes by this remote place, does it with
maximum precautions for not altering the local silence.” Photo #17 by NewWorldReview
Amazon Poison Dartfrog, also
known as the Reticulated Poison Frog, can be found at the inflows of the
Amazon River in Peru live high up in the rainforest. The photographer
also noted that these very little beauties are only about 15-20 mm in
size. Photo #19 by Dominik Hofer
Or perhaps travel by river may
simply be easier than the adventure of trying to travel muddy Amazonia
roads? Here you don’t get stuck in traffic, you just get stuck. Photo #22 by J.Gil Photography
Amazon Rainforest, seen from
the Alto Madre de Dios river, in Peru. Before 1960, access to the
forest’s interior was restricted and the Amazon jungle remained mostly
intact. During the 1960s, farms were established based on crop
cultivation and the slash and burn method. Deforestation was so considerable
that the areas which were cleared of forest were visible to the naked eye
from outer space. Photo #23 by Martin St-Amant
Strong drought in the Amazon
rainforest. In 2005, parts of the Amazon basin experienced the worst
drought in one hundred years. In 2010 the Amazon rainforest experienced
another horrific drought, in some ways more extreme than in 2005. In a
typical year the Amazon absorbs 1.5 gigatons of carbon dioxide; during
2005 instead 5 gigatons were released and in 2010 8 gigatons were
released. Photo #24 by Hudson Alves
Just as there can be droughts,
the rivers of Amazon suffer flooding for 4 or 5 months of the year. The
photographer said that on a hot day, they went ‘rock jumping.’ Photo #25 by J.Gil Photography
Amazonas floating village,
Iquitos in the Amazon Basin. It’s the part of South America drained by
the Amazon River; its tributaries drains an area of about 2,670,000
square miles (6,915,000 sq km), or roughly 40% of South America. Photo #26 by Sascha Grabow
Amazon rainforest, near
Manaus, Brazil. Image taken from top of a 50 m tower for meteorological
observations, and the top of vegetation canopy is typically 35 m. The
image was taken within 30 minutes of a rain event, and a few white
‘clouds’ above the canopy are indicative of rapid evaporation from wet
leaves after the rain. Much of the Amazon is still unexplored, many of
its indigenous plants and animals are unknown . . . perhaps even plants
yet to be discovered that could cure diseases that plague the people on
our planet. The leaves and branches of the rainforest are so dense that
it creates a “roof” that does not allow the sunlight to reach the ground.
The ground remains dark, damp and waiting for discovery. Photo #28 by Phil P Harris
Another folklore of Amazona
from Peru are attributed to certain animals. For example: The mochuelo
that “freezes the soul”, or the “quien-quien” that makes fun of the
travelers in the roads. When the singing crickets sounds like bells, it
is supposedly foretelling of a “big evil.” Photo #30 by Roosevelt Garcia
The photographer explained,
“On the Tambopata River in the Peruivan Amazon Rainforest, a group of kids
play football on a tiny sand island in the middle of the river.” Photo #36 by Mike Cooper
Three-Toed Sloth in the
Amazon. The photographer noted a local superstition: ‘don’t look at him
if you’re pregnant…or your baby may look like him!’ Photo #41 by Pierre Pouliquin
The photographer wrote,
“Yacumana and Chullachaqui are two demons of the local legends. Yacumana
is a demon of the water (boa man); Chullachaqui can transform itself to
mimic any person…is it your mum coming to you? No, look at his feet,
that’s how you recognize him, he always has a big one!” Photo #44 by Pierre Pouliquin
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