Biomes "Survivor" Research Project
by: Elizabeth, MaCayla, and Malia
Climate of the Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rain forest Climate is typically a tropical climate, also known as equatorial climate, found approximately 12 degrees to the North and South of the equator.
Like any other tropical rain forest, it's hot and humid throughout the year, with an average annual temperature of 27°C.
There isn't such a thing as summer or winter, or it's not pronounced, the annual temperature range is about 2°C.
In fact, the difference between day and night temperature is greater than the difference between any two seasons.
And it's not as hot as it may be expected - temperatures rarely reach over 33°C - not much if we compare it with other parts of Brazil, such as Rio, where is not unusual to find temperatures in the range of 40°C during summer.
Caiman
Boa
Red Eyed Tree Frog
Orchids
Strangler Fig
Bromeliads
The unique geography of the Amazon Rainforest
The rainforest most likely formed during the Eocene era, following the evolution of angiosperm plants. These plants appeared after a global reduction of tropical temperatures when the Atlantic Ocean widened enough to provide a warm, moist climate to the Amazon Basin. The rainforest dates back to about 55 million years ago. After the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, wetter climates may have allowed the forest to spread across the continent. From 65 – 34 million years ago the rainforest extended as far south as the Aisen Region of Chile. Climate instability during the last 34 millions years have allowed savanna to expand into tropical areas, stopping the spread of the forests and perhaps shrinking it. It remained relatively calm during the Oligocene era, but expanded again during the Middle Miocene era. It retracted to mostly how it looks today during the Last Glacial Maximum.
The unique characteristics of the Amazon
The Amazon rainforest is a sprawling ecological complex of wonders. It is believed that scientists know more about the ocean floor than certain parts of the rainforest. Due to its thick, winding trees and dense foliage, researching the area is difficult. Compounding the problem is the forest's sheer size. Bordering eight countries and stretching across an entire continent, the Amazon rainforest is the most daunting of ecosystems.
Living Conditions
Very beautiful and very dangerous!!