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Ecosystem

Amazon Rainforest

Tropical Rainforest

The largest tropical rainforest ecosystem on Earth, spanning the drainage basin of the Amazon River across Brazil and eight neighboring South American countries. It holds an estimated ten percent of all known species on the planet within roughly a third the land area of the contiguous United States, and its trees release enough water vapor through transpiration to generate a substantial share of the region's own rainfall, a self-sustaining moisture cycle scientists call flying rivers. Large-scale deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching has reduced the forest's original extent by close to a fifth, and research suggests continued clearing risks pushing parts of the ecosystem past a tipping point into a drier, savanna-like state that would not readily reverse.

Facts
Classification
Biogeographic Realm
Neotropic 1
Area (sq km)
5,500,000 1
Amazon Rainforest
Filter Results38 entries
Connections

Demonstrates

Whether the Amazon basin is currently a net carbon sink or, in its most deforested and fire-affected eastern reaches, has turned into a net carbon source is an active and genuinely unsettled research question; this edge records the rainforest as a demonstration of the carbon cycle's mechanism, not a claim about its current net direction.

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Hosts

Source Adelphobates galactonotus (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Mission golden-eyed tree frog
Source Amazon River Dolphin (World Land Trust)
Source Apistogramma panduro (Wikipedia)
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Saguinus imperator account
Brazil nut, Species
Source Brazil nut (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Brazilian whiteknee tarantula
Cougar, Species
Source Cougar (Wikipedia)
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Procyon cancrivorus (Animal Diversity Web)
Source Dark fruit-eating bat (Wikipedia)
Source Dyeing Poison Frog (Wikipedia)
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Corallus caninus
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Saguinus imperator account
Source Firewood catfish (Wikipedia)
Source Giant Water Lily (Wikipedia)
Gilded barbet, Species
Source Gilded barbet (Wikipedia)
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Phyllobates terribilis
Source Theraphosa blondi (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Great Horned Owl
Source World Wildlife Fund
Harpy Eagle, Species
Source World Wildlife Fund
Source Animal Diversity Web: Dynastes hercules
Hoatzin, Species
Source GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): GBIF species descriptions for Opisthocomus hoazin
Jaguar, Species
Source World Wildlife Fund
King Vulture, Species
Source Wikipedia: King vulture
Source Laetacara curviceps (Wikipedia)
Ocelot, Species
Source Ocelot (Wikipedia)
Source Hevea brasiliensis (Wikipedia)
Payara, Species
Source Wikipedia: Payara
Source World Wildlife Fund
Source Wikipedia: Pygmy marmoset
Quassia amara, Species
Source Quassia amara (Wikipedia)
Source Ranitomeya amazonica (Wikipedia)
Source Wikidata: Red-bellied Piranha
Additional Source Red-bellied Piranha (Wikipedia)Article text
Scarlet Macaw, Species
Source Scarlet Macaw (Wikidata)
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Ceratophrys cornuta
Source Titan beetle (Wikipedia)
Source Yellow-footed tortoise (Wikipedia)

In Biome

Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
  • britannica.com/place/Amazon-Rainforest, opening definition sentence
    Amazon Rainforest, large tropical rainforest occupying the drainage basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries in northern South America and covering an area of 2,300,000 square miles (6,000,000 square km).
  • Biogeographic realm: neotropic (derived from location stated in entity description)
  • In Biome: Tropical Rainforest
  • Demonstrates: Carbon Cycle
View the Source
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationDemonstrates: Water CycleView the Source
Amazon River Dolphin (World Land Trust)
World Land TrustHosts: Amazon River DolphinView the Source
World Wildlife Fund
World Wildlife Fund
  • Hosts: Jaguar
  • Hosts: Harpy Eagle
  • Hosts: Poison Dart Frog
  • Hosts: Green Anaconda
View the Source
Wikipedia: Mission golden-eyed tree frog
Hosts: Amazon Milk Frog, Wikipedia intro: "r Amazon milk frog (Trachycephalus resinifictrix) is a large species of arboreal frog native to the Amazon rainforest in South America. It is sometimes referred..."View the Source
Dyeing Poison Frog (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Dyeing Poison Frog, Wikipedia intro: "ugh in some cases may climb trees as well. They are frequently found in treefall canopy gaps in the Amazon rainforest, as they utilize phytotelmata on the falle..."View the Source
Gilded barbet (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Gilded barbet, Distribution and habitat
Quote, Hosts: Gilded barbet, Distribution and habitat
It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, in the Orinoco River Basin and western Amazon Basin.
View the Source
Ranitomeya amazonica (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Ranitomeya amazonica, Distribution and habitat
Quote, Hosts: Ranitomeya amazonica, Distribution and habitat
This species has only been confirmed to reside in northeastern Peru within the Amazon Basin.
View the Source
Dark fruit-eating bat (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Dark fruit-eating bat, Distribution and habitat
Quote, Hosts: Dark fruit-eating bat, Distribution and habitat
Dark-fruit eating bats are found throughout the Amazon Basin.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Brazilian whiteknee tarantula
WikipediaHosts: Brazilian Whiteknee Tarantula, Distribution and habitat
Quote, Hosts: Brazilian Whiteknee Tarantula, Distribution and habitat
A. geniculata is native to the Amazon basin of northern Brazil.
View the Source
Giant Water Lily (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Giant Water Lily, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 279990, target E16282
Quote, Hosts: Giant Water Lily, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 279990, target E16282
Its native region is tropical South America, specifically Guyana and the Amazon Basin.
View the Source
Theraphosa blondi (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Goliath Birdeater, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 279956, target E16282
Quote, Hosts: Goliath Birdeater, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 279956, target E16282
Most noticeable in the Amazon rainforest, the spider is terrestrial, living in deep burrows, and is found commonly in marshy or swampy areas.
View the Source
Yellow-footed tortoise (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Yellow-footed tortoise, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 361261, target E16282
Quote, Hosts: Yellow-footed tortoise, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 361261, target E16282
It is found in the Amazon Basin of South America.
View the Source
Laetacara curviceps (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Laetacara curviceps, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 410255, target E16282
Quote, Hosts: Laetacara curviceps, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 410255, target E16282
Laetacara curviceps, the Flag acara, Dwarf flag cichlid, is a species of cichlid that lives in slow-moving rivers and streams as well as ponds and lakes of the Amazon Basin.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Payara
WikipediaHosts: Payara, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 339106, target E16282
Quote, Hosts: Payara, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 339106, target E16282
This predatory fish is found in the Amazon Basin in tropical South America.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Pygmy marmoset
Hosts: Pygmy Marmoset, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 326962, target E16282
Quote, Hosts: Pygmy Marmoset, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 326962, target E16282
The smallest monkey in the world at just over 100 g (3.5 oz), it is native to rainforests of the western Amazon Basin in South America.
View the Source
Apistogramma panduro (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Apistogramma panduro, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 411928, target E16282
Quote, Hosts: Apistogramma panduro, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 411928, target E16282
Apistogramma panduro (A-183), also commonly referred to as Apistogramma pandurini, is a small species of cichlid freshwater fish from the Amazon river basin in Peru.
View the Source
Firewood catfish (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Firewood catfish, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 366017, target E16282
Quote, Hosts: Firewood catfish, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 366017, target E16282
Firewood catfish are one of the hundreds of freshwater fish in the Amazon Basin that play important ecological and economic roles.
View the Source
Adelphobates galactonotus (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Adelphobates galactonotus, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 405171, target E16282
Quote, Hosts: Adelphobates galactonotus, article text (ecosystem), EntityId 405171, target E16282
It is endemic to the rainforest of the southern Amazon Basin in Brazil.
View the Source
Cougar (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Cougar, Lead
Quote, Hosts: Cougar, Lead
Further south, its range extends through Mexico to the Amazon rainforest and the southern Andes Mountains in Patagonia.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Great Horned Owl
WikipediaHosts: Great Horned Owl, Distribution and habitat
Quote, Hosts: Great Horned Owl, Distribution and habitat
They have only been recorded a handful of times in true rainforests such as the Amazon rainforest.
View the Source
Ocelot (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Ocelot, Distribution and habitat
Quote, Hosts: Ocelot, Distribution and habitat
In the Amazon rainforest, it prefers habitats with availability of prey and water, and tends to avoid other predators.
View the Source
Brazil nut (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Brazil nut, Lead
Quote, Hosts: Brazil nut, Lead
It is one of the largest and longest-lived trees in the Amazon rainforest.
View the Source
Quassia amara (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Quassia amara, Distribution
Quote, Hosts: Quassia amara, Distribution
It is found in the Amazon Rainforest at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 900 m (3,000 ft).
View the Source
Scarlet Macaw (Wikidata)
WikidataHosts: Scarlet Macaw, Article text
Quote, Hosts: Scarlet Macaw, Article text
The species' South American range is extensive, spanning much of the Amazon basin and rainforest of the northern half of the continent, extending as far south as Peru (east of the Andes) and Bolivia.
View the Source
Red-bellied Piranha (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHosts: Red-bellied Piranha, Article text
Quote, Hosts: Red-bellied Piranha, Article text
The red-bellied piranha is typically found in white water rivers, such as the Amazon River Basin, and in some streams and lakes.
View the Source
Titan beetle (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Titan Beetle (Titanus giganteus), Distribution and habitat
Quote, Hosts: Titan Beetle (Titanus giganteus), Distribution and habitat
While the Titan Beetle is most generally associated with the Amazon Rainforest, it may also be found in other parts of South America if ecological conditions are favorable.
View the Source
Hevea brasiliensis (Wikipedia)
Hosts: Para Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis), Distribution and habitat
Quote, Hosts: Para Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis), Distribution and habitat
The South American rubber tree grew only in the Amazon rainforest
View the Source
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Phyllobates terribilis
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyHosts: Golden Poison Frog, Geographic Range
Quote, Hosts: Golden Poison Frog, Geographic Range
Phyllobates terribilis is found in the Amazonian rainforest along the Pacific coast of Colombia.
View the Source
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Corallus caninus
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyHosts: Emerald Tree Boa, Geographic Range
Quote, Hosts: Emerald Tree Boa, Geographic Range
Emerald tree boas are found in lowland tropical rainforests in the Amazonian and Guianan regions of South America.
View the Source
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Saguinus imperator account
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
  • Hosts: Emperor tamarin, Geographic Range
    Emperor tamarins inhabit vast Amazonian tropical forest regions in southeast Peru, northwest Bolivia, and northwest Brazil.
  • Hosts: Bearded emperor tamarin, Geographic Range
    Emperor tamarins inhabit vast Amazonian tropical forest regions in southeast Peru, northwest Bolivia, and northwest Brazil.
View the Source
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Ceratophrys cornuta
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyHosts: Surinam Horned Frog, Geographic Range
Quote, Hosts: Surinam Horned Frog, Geographic Range
Amazon horned frogs, Ceratophrys cornuta , are found in the Amazonian Basin of Colombia, Ecuador, the Guianas, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil (IUCN, Conservation International, and NatureServe, 2004).
View the Source
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Procyon cancrivorus (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyHosts: Crab-eating Raccoon, Geographic Range
Quote, Hosts: Crab-eating Raccoon, Geographic Range
Procyon cancrivorus makes use of habitats ranging from the forest of Ilanos, to the xeric chaco vegetation, and even the Amazon rainforests.
View the Source
Animal Diversity Web: Dynastes hercules
Hosts: Hercules Beetle, Geographic Range
Quote, Hosts: Hercules Beetle, Geographic Range
This includes all of Central America, the Pacific coast and Amazonia of Colombia, western Venezuela, the islands of Guadeloupe and Dominica, eastern Ecuador, central Peru, western Brazil, and west/central Bolivia.
View the Source
Wikipedia: King vulture
Hosts: King Vulture, Habitat
Quote, Hosts: King Vulture, Habitat
but in the Amazon rainforest, it is typically outnumbered by the greater yellow-headed vulture
View the Source
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): GBIF species descriptions for Opisthocomus hoazin
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)Hosts: Hoatzin, Distribution description
Quote, Hosts: Hoatzin, Distribution description
Breeding subregions are Amazonia
View the Source

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