The seven million km2 Amazon watershed overlaps with 9 countries, of which 2/3 is in Brazil, 1/8 in Peru, 1/10 in Colombia and the rest is in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Most of the area still is covered with rainforest.
The furthest sources of the Amazon river lie in Peru and Bolivia at a distance of around 6,500 km from the river mouth into the Atlantic. Since the lower Andes are rather hilly, the upper watershed of the Amazon have few lakes and narrow rivers they are difficult to navigate, making those areas little accessible from the water. []
The weather in the Amazon rainforest is hot and humid, with yearly temperatures averaging about 26C. The abundance rainfall is caused by convection: surface water evaporates and as it rises it cools down, after which it condenses and falls down as rain, thus continuously recycling the water basin. Additional water originates from rivers from run off from snow peaked mountains in the Andes Mountain Range.
The Amazon region has the highest species variety on earth, with as many as 40,000 plant species having been registered. Of the invertebrates, between 100,000 and 130,000 species have been documented just in Brazil, while some two thousand varieties of birds plus some 430 species of mammals have been registered for the basin, of which rodents and bats make up the majority. Reptiles are represented with some 380 species, amphibians with 425 species and fishes astonishing 2,200 varieties.
According to a 2001 study, the Ecuadorian tropical jungle contains the Greatest species diversity. Studies of the Cuyabeno Fauna Reserve revealed higher diversity of species than any other study in the region. However, for visitors, the differences in number of species are not really noticeable.
To visitors The existence of slow flowing creeks and lakes is much more important than extreme variety of species. That is because, it is not easy to observe wildlife as it moves about high up in the canopies of the trees. For the observer on the ground, wildlife moving about through the tree crowns is tough to see, since the contrast between the light of the sky and the leaves blinds a person's eye, making the leaves look almost black. Observation from narrow rivers, on the other hand, is far better, because the light shines onto the lower branches and shrubs where many animals perch. But areas with slow flowing narrow rivers and lakes are rare in the Andes countries, and just the Cuyabeno National Park boasts such conditions. []
Logistically, too, Cuyabeno is special. It's accessible from capital Quito by a half an hour flight and an additional hour and half bus ride over an asphalt road. No surprise that Tripadvisor elected Cuyabeno on the list of 25 greatest destinations throughout South America and the Cuyabeno Lodge as its prime provider of exquisite Amazon tours!
The furthest sources of the Amazon river lie in Peru and Bolivia at a distance of around 6,500 km from the river mouth into the Atlantic. Since the lower Andes are rather hilly, the upper watershed of the Amazon have few lakes and narrow rivers they are difficult to navigate, making those areas little accessible from the water. []
The weather in the Amazon rainforest is hot and humid, with yearly temperatures averaging about 26C. The abundance rainfall is caused by convection: surface water evaporates and as it rises it cools down, after which it condenses and falls down as rain, thus continuously recycling the water basin. Additional water originates from rivers from run off from snow peaked mountains in the Andes Mountain Range.
The Amazon region has the highest species variety on earth, with as many as 40,000 plant species having been registered. Of the invertebrates, between 100,000 and 130,000 species have been documented just in Brazil, while some two thousand varieties of birds plus some 430 species of mammals have been registered for the basin, of which rodents and bats make up the majority. Reptiles are represented with some 380 species, amphibians with 425 species and fishes astonishing 2,200 varieties.
According to a 2001 study, the Ecuadorian tropical jungle contains the Greatest species diversity. Studies of the Cuyabeno Fauna Reserve revealed higher diversity of species than any other study in the region. However, for visitors, the differences in number of species are not really noticeable.
To visitors The existence of slow flowing creeks and lakes is much more important than extreme variety of species. That is because, it is not easy to observe wildlife as it moves about high up in the canopies of the trees. For the observer on the ground, wildlife moving about through the tree crowns is tough to see, since the contrast between the light of the sky and the leaves blinds a person's eye, making the leaves look almost black. Observation from narrow rivers, on the other hand, is far better, because the light shines onto the lower branches and shrubs where many animals perch. But areas with slow flowing narrow rivers and lakes are rare in the Andes countries, and just the Cuyabeno National Park boasts such conditions. []
Logistically, too, Cuyabeno is special. It's accessible from capital Quito by a half an hour flight and an additional hour and half bus ride over an asphalt road. No surprise that Tripadvisor elected Cuyabeno on the list of 25 greatest destinations throughout South America and the Cuyabeno Lodge as its prime provider of exquisite Amazon tours!
About the Author:
Concerned about choosing the wrong area for your Amazon visit? Famous tropical ecologist Dr. Vreugdenhil shares his knowledge so you can find a great place for your Amazon holiday. He'll tell you why the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve would be a magnificent destination.
