Top 4 Reasons Why We Need the Amazon Rainforest

The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world and covers over two million kilometres of land, being one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world.
Home to countless species of plants and animals, the rainforest can even create its own climate and influence that of the world.

The biggest reasons why this region is important:

Abundance of animals
The Amazon is home to some of the most charismatic plants and animals in the world. It is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, home to 10% of the world's species, according to the World Wildlife Fund

There are over 2.5 million insect species, approximately 1,300 bird species, 3,000 fish species and approximately 430 mammal species, according to National Geographic.

A wide variety of plants

More than 40,000 plant species have been found in the Amazon rainforest.
Many of them have important medicinal uses or are found in the foods we eat: chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, pepper and coffee are all grown in the rainforest.

Amazonian plants play an active role in regulating the ecosystem. As plants in the Amazon photosynthesize, they create their own climate through a process called perspiration, in which plants release water vapour through the leaves.

The riches of the Amazon River

The second-longest river in the world, just after the Nile.
Its winding waterways cover about 4,000 miles; The biodiversity along the Amazon River and its marshes are incredibly rich.

The carbon and oxygen cycle

The Amazon rainforest plays an important role in regulating the world's oxygen and carbon cycles. It produces about six per cent of global oxygen and has long been active in rapidly absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Fonte: Popular Mechanics Popular Mechanics