The 7,000,000 km2 Amazon basin overlaps with 9 countries, of which 2/3 lies in Brazil, 1/8 in Peru, 1/10 in Colombia and the rest is situated in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. A lot of the area is still forest.
The furthest sources of the Amazon river lie in Peru and Bolivia at a distance of around 6,500 km from the river mouth into the Atlantic Ocean. As the lower Andes are rather hilly, the upper watershed of the Amazon have few lakes and streams they are tough to navigate, making those areas little accessible from the water. []
The weather in the Amazon rainforest is humid and hot, with yearly temperatures averaging about 26C. The abundance rainfall is caused by convection: surface water evaporates and as it rises it cools down, after which it condenses and falls down as rain, thus continuously recycling the water in the region. Additional water originates from rivers from run off from snow peaked mountains in the Andes Mountains.
The species variety is the highest in the world: To date, at the very least 40,000 plant species have been recorded for the Amazon area. Scientists have described between 100,000 |130,000 invertebrate species in Brazil alone. Some 2,000 varieties of birds and close to 430 type of mammals have been recorded, nearly all of which are rodents and bats. Fishes are represented with nearly 2,200 species, while amphibians add up to more than 425 species, and reptiles to approximately 380 species.
A report from in 2001 demonstrated that the tropical jungle in the Amazon of Ecuador has the greatest diversity of species. Studies performed from the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve discovered more species per hectare compared to any other area on earth. All of this makes little difference to visitors, however, as even scientists on an occasional visit can't see the difference in diversity.
To visitors The existence of slow flowing creeks and lakes is a lot more important than extreme species variety. That is because, it is difficult to watch wildlife as it moves about up high in the crowns of the trees. To the observer on the ground, wildlife moving about through the tree crowns is difficult to see, because the contrast between the light of the sky and the leaves blinds the eye, making the leaves look almost black. Observation from narrow rivers, However, is far better, because light shines onto the lower branches and shrubs where many animals perch. But areas with slow flowing narrow rivers and lakes are rare in the Andes countries, and just the Cuyabeno Fauna Reserve boasts such conditions. []
Logistically, too, Cuyabeno is unique. It's accessible from capital Quito by a around 30 minutes flight and an additional hour and half bus ride over an asphalt road. No wonder that Tripadvisor elected Cuyabeno one of the 25 greatest destinations in all of South America and the Cuyabeno Lodge as its prime provider of exquisite Amazon tours!
The furthest sources of the Amazon river lie in Peru and Bolivia at a distance of around 6,500 km from the river mouth into the Atlantic Ocean. As the lower Andes are rather hilly, the upper watershed of the Amazon have few lakes and streams they are tough to navigate, making those areas little accessible from the water. []
The weather in the Amazon rainforest is humid and hot, with yearly temperatures averaging about 26C. The abundance rainfall is caused by convection: surface water evaporates and as it rises it cools down, after which it condenses and falls down as rain, thus continuously recycling the water in the region. Additional water originates from rivers from run off from snow peaked mountains in the Andes Mountains.
The species variety is the highest in the world: To date, at the very least 40,000 plant species have been recorded for the Amazon area. Scientists have described between 100,000 |130,000 invertebrate species in Brazil alone. Some 2,000 varieties of birds and close to 430 type of mammals have been recorded, nearly all of which are rodents and bats. Fishes are represented with nearly 2,200 species, while amphibians add up to more than 425 species, and reptiles to approximately 380 species.
A report from in 2001 demonstrated that the tropical jungle in the Amazon of Ecuador has the greatest diversity of species. Studies performed from the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve discovered more species per hectare compared to any other area on earth. All of this makes little difference to visitors, however, as even scientists on an occasional visit can't see the difference in diversity.
To visitors The existence of slow flowing creeks and lakes is a lot more important than extreme species variety. That is because, it is difficult to watch wildlife as it moves about up high in the crowns of the trees. To the observer on the ground, wildlife moving about through the tree crowns is difficult to see, because the contrast between the light of the sky and the leaves blinds the eye, making the leaves look almost black. Observation from narrow rivers, However, is far better, because light shines onto the lower branches and shrubs where many animals perch. But areas with slow flowing narrow rivers and lakes are rare in the Andes countries, and just the Cuyabeno Fauna Reserve boasts such conditions. []
Logistically, too, Cuyabeno is unique. It's accessible from capital Quito by a around 30 minutes flight and an additional hour and half bus ride over an asphalt road. No wonder that Tripadvisor elected Cuyabeno one of the 25 greatest destinations in all of South America and the Cuyabeno Lodge as its prime provider of exquisite Amazon tours!
About the Author:
Worried you'll choose the wrong area for your Amazon visit? Famous tropical ecologist Dr. Vreugdenhil shares his experiences so you can select a great place for your Amazon holiday. He'll tell you why the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve would be a fabulous choice.
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