The Amazon

Introduction What is a Tropical Rainforest? What Do We Mean When We Say the Amazon? Why is the Amazon Important? Geology, Soils and Vegetation Geological history - What is the geological history of Amazonia? Soils - Do large and diverse Amazonian rainforests thrive on poor soil? Terra preta - What is terra preta? Vegetation - What are the major forest and vegetation types in Amazonia? Savannas - What are savannas and how are they created? Tepuis - What are tepuis? Nutrient cycling - If the soils are so poor, how can lush rainforests flourish? Rivers The Amazon Source of the Amazon - What is the source of the Amazon River? River types - What are the various river types in Amazonia? Aquatic habitats - What are some of the characteristic aquatic habitats of Amazonia? Casiquiare canal - What is the Casiquiare Canal? Coral reef - Is there a coral reef in the Amazon? Indians 1492 population Languages - How many indigenous languages are there in Amazonia? Paleoindians, the first arrivals - When did the first humans arrive in Amazonia? Shamans - What is a Shaman? Shrunken heads - Shrunken heads: fact or fiction? Slash and burn agriculture - What is slash-and-burn agriculture? Uncontacted tribes - Do uncontacted tribes still exist? History The Struggle for the Amazon Treaty of Tordesillas - What was the Treaty of Tordesillas? Aguirre - Was Werner Herzog's film "Aguirre, the Wrath of God," based on a historical figure? Teixeira - What role did Pedro Teixeira play in the colonization of the Amazon? Mapping - What is the history of the mapping of the Amazon? The Advent of the European Scientists Merian - Was the first European scientific explorer of the Amazon a woman? Darwin - What is the connection between the Amazon and the origins of the Theory of Evolution? Agassiz / Harvard Amazon Rubber and the Jari Project Rubber atrocities - What were the Putumayo Rubber Atrocities? Rubber as commodity - How Did Amazonian Rubber Become A Key Global Commodity? Rubber / Fordlandia - Why did Henry Ford fail at Fordlandia in Brazil? Jari Project - Fordlandia redux - What was the Jari Project, and why did it fail? Rondon / Mendes - Who were Cândido Rondon and Chico Mendes? Amazonian biota Animals Faunal origins - What is the origin of the Amazonian fauna? Vampire bats - Do vampire bats suck human blood? Spiders - How dangerous are Amazonian spiders? Cats, crocodilians and serpents - Do jaguars, crocs and snakes eat people in Amazonia? Frogs - Are there hallucinogenic frogs in the Amazon Rainforest? Pink dolphins - Are there pink dolphins in the Amazon? Fish diversity - Why does Amazonia harbor the most diverse freshwater fish fauna in the world? Candiru catfish - Is the tiny candiru catfish as terrifying as its reputation? Electric eels - How dangerous are electric eels? Piranhas - Do piranhas deserve their fearsome reputation? Sharks - Are there man-eating sharks in the Amazon? Plants Ayahuasca - What is ayahuasca? Bromeliads - What are the aerial aquaria of the Amazon? Coca - What is the traditional use of coca in the Amazon? Curare - What is Curare and Why is it Important? Lianas - Why are lianas so important and yet so poorly understood? Figs - Why are strangler figs not considered to be lianas? Palms - Why are palms the single most useful group of organisms to the indigenous peoples of the Amazon? Palms with economic promise - Which Amazonian palms offer the greatest economic promise for the future? Victoria lily - Did an Amazonian water lily serve as the inspiration for steel frame architecture? Threats Cattle - What is the role of cattle ranching in Amazonian agriculture? Dams - What is the status of hydroelectric dams in the Amazon? Gold - What is the impact of gold mining in the Amazon? Agriculture / Big - The Role of Export-Driven Large-Scale Agricultural Production in Deforestation Agriculture / Small - What is the role of small-scale farming in deforestation? Logging - What is the status of logging in the Amazon? Climate Change - How will climate change affect Amazonia? Deforestation - What drives deforestation in the Amazon? Oil and gas - What is the impact of oil and gas exploration on forest peoples? Overhunting - What is the impact of overhunting and overfishing on the Amazon? China - What is the Impact of China in Amazonia? Conclusion Conservation - How to Save the Amazon?