Five Facts about the Amazon Rain Forest

Deforestation is rapidly depleting the Amazon, but there are still some amazing things happening in the forest. The canopy is still alive and active, and we still use so much of the resources the Amazon gives to us. Here are five amazing things we take for granted that come from the Amazon rainforest. 

Forest Floor

The forest floor is almost completely dark. The forest canopy, which can extend up to 100 feet into the air, only lets in about one percent of sunlight. The canopy above the forest floor actually contains almost 90% of wildlife in the jungle.

Fruit Variety

There are over 3000 varieties of fruits in the jungle, and Westerners barely consume one percent of them. Locals, on the other hand, will consume almost 2000 different varieties of fruits from within the forest. Next time you eat a banana, thank the rainforest.

Food Origins

At one point, almost 80% of what we consumed as humans came from the rainforest. Though our usage of rainforest products has dwindled, we still use popular items like coffee and chocolate to get us through the day. These operations do put a strain on the forest eco-system, but several organizations including the Rainforest Alliance work to sustain the jungles.

Medicinal Properties

Only about one-percent of the plant life in the jungle has actually been studied for medicinal properties. The other ninety-nine percent could be a cure for anything. We synthesize our consumer drugs from compounds we find in the wild.