Freshwater sponges attach to submerged tree branches. This forest type supports few lianas and no herbs other than some epiphyes. Varzea in upper Amazon basin, Peru. Tall tree leaning in from left is a Cecropia. Palms are conspicuously abundant. Animal life. The Terra firme forest canopy is home to such noisy and brightly colored birds as parrots and toucans and such Neotropical mammals as three-toed and two-toed sloths, kinkajous, silly anteaters Cyclopes didactylus , tamanduas, spider monkeys Ateles spp.
Arboreal marsupials such as woolly opossums Caluromys spp. On the ground are tapirs, white-lipped and collared peccaries Tayassu pecari and T. They are hunted by jaguars and ocelots. Some species of Eleutherodactylus frogs, disguised as dead leaves, call loudly from the leaf litter, sounding more like insects than amphibians. Brown-necked three-toed sloth, Bradypus vareigatus Courtesy Tauchgurke [Public domain]. Destruction of the Amazon Forest will have global impacts on climate as well as planet-wide biodiversity.
Policy changes in in Brazil with respect to development had decreased rates of deforestation, but since deforestation has accelerated. Construction of roads opens ever more areas to settlement and resource extraction.
Soils have been poisoned by gold-mining and oil exploration. Mining of iron ore results in deforestation to make the charcoal used in the production of pig iron. Illegal logging continues; and land is cleared for commercial agriculture, especially soy production and cattle ranching. Growing demands for energy have led to hydroelectric dam construction in the Amazon Basin and many more such projects are proposed. Due to the low relief of the basin, the reservoirs created by dams may cover vast areas and alter the flooding regime and sediment loads of major streams thereby affecting aquatic and riparian life.
Skip to content. Search for:. Jaguar Photo by author. Tapir Photo by author. Biomes of the World by S. Author: Dr. Susan L. Content on terrestrial biomes was initially prepared in and later updated. Some of the most common types of trees that can be found in the rainforest are the Brazil-nut tree, palm trees, and even trees that only grow on other trees, called epiphytes.
It is also home to vines, moss, and ferns. Because the rainforest is already such a harsh environment for plants, they cannot afford to be attacked or eaten by animals, too. Many types of plants have adapted to give off poisonous toxins if an animal should come to close, using it to protect themselves from danger.
In fact, the trees in the rainforest are so thick, the floor of the Amazon is always in complete darkness. Also, when it rains, it takes 10 minutes for the water to go through the leaves and hit the ground. Talk about an umbrella! One of the things that the Amazon Rainforest is most known for is its huge variety of animals, including mammals, birds, fish, and insects.
Some common animals that live in the rainforest are jaguars, howler monkeys, sloths, anacondas , alligators, and apes. With the large amount of animals that live in the same area, they have each adapted to living in different levels of the forest floor and trees in order to protect themselves and hide from predators. Not all of the animals that live in the Amazon Rainforest are friendly, however. In fact, a lot of them are extremely dangerous or poisonous. Some of these types of animals include electric eels, flesh-eating piranhas, poisonous dart frogs, and even venomous snakes.
One of the deadliest animals that lives in the rainforest is the Pirarucu.
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