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Lungs of the Planet

The lungs of the planet is how many refer to the Amazon Rainforest. The Amazon rainforest absorbs almost a ton of carbon (in the form of CO2) per Hectre per year. We as humans breath out CO2 (carbondioxide) the rainforest absorbs it, stores the carbon and releases the oxygen. The rainforest generates approximately 20% of our planet's oxygen. As you can see there is a natural symbiotic relationship between all air breathing creatures and the rainforests. If this balance in this relationship is upset in a major way (such as the loss of the rainforest) we know this could have a devistating effect on our planet's global weather and general atmospheric conditions.

More than half of the world's estimated 10 million species of plants, animals and insects live in the tropical rainforests. One-fifth of the world's fresh water is in the Amazon Basin. One hectare (2.47 acres) may contain over 750 types of trees and 1500 species of higher plants. At least 80% of the developed world's diet originated in the tropical rainforest.
Diversity - Animals

Wet tropical forests are the most species-rich biome, and tropical forests in the Americas are consistently more species rich than the wet forests in Africa and Asia. As the largest tract of tropical rainforest in the Americas, the Amazonian rainforests have unparalleled biodiversity. One in ten known species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest.

Beyond the plants, the Amazon rainforest is home to an estimated 438,000 species, with many more remaining to be discovered or catalogued.

To date 3,000 fish, 1,294 birds, 427 mammals, 428 amphibians, and 378 reptiles have been scientifically classified in the region

One in ten known species in the world live in the Amazon Rainforest. One in five of all the birds in the world live in the rainforests of the Amazon.

 
Pharmaceuticals

70% of the drugs that are proven effective in the treatment of Cancer consists of rainforest ingrediants.

The Amazon is the source of the key ingrediants for many of our modern medicines.While 25% of Western pharmaceuticals are derived from rainforest ingredients, less than 1% of these tropical trees and plants have been tested by scientists.

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has identified 3000 plants that are active against cancer cells. 70% of these plants are found in the rainforest. 25% percent of the active ingredients in today's cancer-fighting drugs come from organisms found only in the rainforest. We have only tested 1% of the 3,000 known species of Amazonian plants.

Vincristine, extracted from the rainforest plant, Periwinkle, is one of the world's most powerful anticancer drugs. It has dramatically increased the survival rate for acute childhood leukemia since its discovery.

Today, over 100 pharmaceutical companies and several branches of the US government, including giants like Merck and The National Cancer Institute, are engaged in plant research projects for possible drugs and cures for viruses, infections, cancer and even AIDS

 
Fruits

Fruits like avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges, lemons, grapefuit, bananas, guavas, pinapples, mangos and tomatoes; vegetables including corn, potatoes, rice, winter squash and yams; spices like black pepper, cayenne, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar cane, tumeric, coffee and vanilla and nuts including Brazil nuts and cashews.

At least 3000 fruits are found in the rainforests; of these only 200 are now in use in the Western World. The Indians of the rainforest use over 2,000.

Rainforest plants are rich in secondary metabolites, particularly alkaloids. Biochemists believe alkaloids protect plants from disease and insect attacks.Many alkaloids from higher plants have proven to be of medicinal value and benefit.