Southwestern Amazon Moist Forests - A Global Ecoregion
World's highest diversity of freshwater fish, birds, and butterflies
Snapshot: Ecoregion 47
Size:
1,886,000 sq. km (728,000 sq. miles)
1,886,000 sq. km (728,000 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Geographic Location:
South America: Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru
Conservation Status:
Relatively Stable/Intact
Quiz Time!
Why do pygmy marmosets make repeated visits to certain trees?
Answer:
Small monkeys called pygmy marmosets make repeated visits to certain trees to feed on the sap that oozes from holes they've bitten into the bark!
About the Area
This Global ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Juruá-Purus moist forests; Southwest Amazon moist forests; Purus-Madeira moist forests; Madeira-Tapajós moist forests.
Ninety-four percent of this remarkable region's original forested area is still intact, with lowland tropical moist forests, unique flooded savannas dotted with palm trees, and bamboo-dominated forests blanketing an area the size of England.High rainfall, relatively complex topography, and varied soils help these forests support the world's highest diversity of freshwater fish, birds, and butterflies, and many other kinds of organisms.
Local Species
Selected Species include a small mammal called the Short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis), Southern two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus), Pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea), Saddleback tamarin (Saguinus fuscicollis), and the Goeldi's monkey (Callimico goeldii).
Southern two-toed sloths feed on leaves and fruit high in the canopy and climb down to ground level when they need to defecate.
Threats
Deforestation related to agriculture and ranching, mining, road building, logging, wildlife exploitation, introduction of exotic species, mercury pollution, and hydroelectric projects are the major threats facing this region.
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
